Comparing Value Sharing Methods for Different Types of Energy Communities

Abstract

Energy communities combine assets of different community members and can create financial value from energy trade and from providing flexibility. Sharing this value among the community members can be done in various ways depending on the main objectives of the energy community and selecting the most suitable value sharing method for a particular energy community is not always straightforward. There are several, partly contradictory, requirements to be fulfilled that include fairness, stability, understandability, computational feasibility and ability to incentivize individual members to act in a way that benefits the whole energy community. In this paper, alternative energy community value sharing methods are compared from different viewpoints. The most suitable value sharing method for a particular energy community can be selected by first defining what are the main requirements for value sharing and then proceeding to a more detailed analysis of the value sharing method options that fulfill those requirements.