The growing urgency of climate action in European and international policy highlights the need for decentralized, renewable energy solutions and greater public involvement. Energy Communities (ECs) allow individuals and organizations to produce, consume, and share energy together. They offer benefits like cost savings, energy independence, and environmental sustainability. However, EC adoption remains low. Common barriers include complex regulations, financial challenges, difficulties in finding suitable participants, and a lack of awareness or understanding. This thesis presents a web-based platform designed to reduce these barriers and improve EC efficiency. The platform includes five components: a central database, Enduser App, Marketplace, EC-Optimizer, and EC-Operator Web App. A key feature is its data-driven approach of grouping potential participants into an EC. It uses DBSCAN to cluster participants with similar energy profiles and NSGA-II to optimize these clusters for lower net energy demand (NED) and energy costs. The evaluation shows that optimized ECs perform significantly better than randomly formed ones. On average, they reduce NED by 84% and energy costs by 88% per prosumer. A qualitative survey confirmed that cost savings, energy independence, and environmental concerns are the main motivators for joining ECs. The main barriers were complexity, administrative burdens, and lack of transparency. User feedback on the implemented web-based platform was largely positive. This thesis demonstrates that a digital platform using clustering and optimization can make EC participation easier and more cost-effective. By addressing key barriers, the platform supports wider EC adoption and contributes to a more sustainable and decentralized energy system.
Breaking Barriers: How a New Developed Web-Based Platform Boosts Access and Participation in Energy Communities
Oblasser, S. (Author). 2025
Student thesis: Master's Thesis