Identifying Challenges in Engaging Users to Increase Self-Consumption of Electricity in Microgrids
| Autor: | Fouad El Gohary, Sofie Nyström, Lizette Reitsma, Cajsa Bartusch |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Energies, Vol 14, Iss 5, p 1257 (2021) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 14051257 1996-1073 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/en14051257 |
| Popis: | A microgrid’s self-consumption rate reflects its ability to retain its own energy and decrease its reliance on the synchronous grid. This paper investigates the empirical case of a microgrid equipped with photovoltaic (PV) panels and identifies challenges in engaging the microgrid’s users to increase their self-consumption. Accordingly, we explored both the physical and social dimensions of the microgrid. The former involved mapping the electricity consumption and production through an exploratory data analysis, and evaluating the associated price signals, while the latter involved the use of design interventions to explore users’ perceptions of the system. We highlight the problem of price signal impedance, the need for cost reflective pricing and the challenge in designing and extending internal price models in settings with various actors. We address the limitations of price signals, alongside alternative unidimensional signals, and emphasize the need for an integrated approach to a user engagement strategy as well as the challenges that this approach entails. Our results shed light on the complexity of energy communities such as microgrids, and why their implementation can introduce multidimensional challenges that demand cross-disciplinary approaches. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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