The rapid proliferation of renewable energy communities/ecosystems is an indication of their potential contribution to the ongoing energy transition. A common characteristic of these ecosystems is their complex composition, which often involves the interaction of multiple actors. Currently, the notions of "networking", "collaboration", "coordination", and "cooperation", although having different meanings, are often loosely used to describe these interactions, which creates a sense of ambiguity and confusion. To better characterize the nature of interactions in current and emerging ecosystems, this article uses the systematic literature review method to analyse 34 emerging cases. The objective is threefold (a) to study the interactions and engagements between the involved actors, aiming at identifying elements of collaboration. (b) Identify the adopted technological enablers, and (c) ascertain how the composition and functions of these ecosystems compare to virtual power plants. The outcome revealed that the interactions between the members of these ecosystems can be described as cooperation and not necessarily as collaboration, except in a few cases. Regarding technological enablers, a vast panoply of technologies, such as IoT devices, smart meters, intelligent software agents, peer-to-peer networks, distributed ledger systems/blockchain technology (including smart contracts, blockchain as a platform service, and cryptocurrencies) were found. In comparison with virtual power plants, these ecosystems have similar composition, thus, having multiple actors, comprised of decentralized and heterogeneous technologies, and are formed by aggregating various distributed energy resources. They are also supported by ICT and are characterized by the simultaneous flow of information and energy.
Sina Eslamizadeh, Amineh Ghorbani, Rolf Künneke, Margot Weijnen
The industrial sector plays a huge role in creating economic growth. While energy is vital for industries to thrive, various factors are undermining the availability of energy including phasing out of fossil fuels, CO2 emission caps and, the large gap between the fast developments of industrial clusters and the energy supply, especially in developing countries. Recently, enabled by renewable energy technologies, a transition process is taking place towards decentralized settings for energy provision where households in neighbourhoods initiate renewable electricity cooperatives. The question addressed in this research is if or to what extent the model of collective action deployed by citizen cooperatives is applicable to collaborations between industries in an industrial cluster. We identified the conditions for the establishment of Industrial Community Energy Systems (InCES) from a collective action perspective by using Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development Framework. The case study selected is the industrial city of Arak, one of the largest and most diversified industrial clusters in Iran. Besides desk research, data was also collected by conducting semi-structured interviews and by holding stakeholder workshops. The results of this study highlight the importance of community spirit and trust for the establishment of InCES, unlike citizen cooperatives where finance and environmental attitude are essential. A transparent legal framework to resolve conflicts that might emerge in industrial partnerships is another crucial element given the many differences among industries such as differences in energy demand and in usage patterns.
Digital technology has the potential to radically reshape the way we generate, trade and consume energy. Over the past decade, the incorporation of information and communications technology into the energy system has emerged as a significant driver of change in the sector but the pace and scale of that change is likely to increase dramatically over the decades to come. This Briefing Paper investigates the key technologies that underpin the digitisation of energy and examines their potential impacts. The overarching objective of the paper is to understand the effects new technologies will have on the current energy system, the new challenges they will pose, and the policies and regulatory measures which will assist in making them a success. Specifically, this paper considers four technological areas of digitalisation: big data; machine learning and AI; the Internet of things; and distributed ledger technology, often referred to as blockchain.
EmÃlia Krajňáková, Mantas Å važas, Valentinas Navickas
As the conjuncture of the energetic system in countries or different regions changes, renewable energy sources play a significant role. Thanks to them, it is possible to move from pollute fossil fuels to sustainable use of clean resources. It is widely acknowledged that the use of biomass waste promotes better environmental state and sustainable development because the waste that cannot be recycled is used for energy production. This article describes the usage of blockchain technology-based biomass systems that not only allows tracing the emergence of biomass, but also contributes to the development of sustainable energy. The research shows that a biomass blockchain enables simplification of biomass production process, thus saving resources and contributing to the expansion of forests and the development of common energy system.