Hybrid LSC – Management of trans sectoral energy carriers for local sustainable communities

The Hybrid LSC project will analyze how EnCos can be motivated for collective actions beyond sharing (electric) energy and how Energy Community Operating Models can be developed for sustainable EnCos depending on the region (urban, rural), energy and resources network (e.g. water infrastructure) potential. The novelty of this project is to demonstrate the use of the flexibility, energy efficiency and renewable generation potential of Local Sustainable Communities (LSCs) for the energy system in a broader context beyond the limits of LSCs themselves and their internal energy service needs. Consequently, different segments of the energy supply chain need to be addressed when enabling collective actions of end customers.
An important innovation in this project is the testing of different control strategies in several demonstration sites. LSCs exist to benefit by providing services to their members and the local community. They harness the renewable energy projects not just to provide a modest return on investment to their members, but to fund social programs, invest in energy efficiency in public buildings, create local employment, address various community development needs, and combat energy poverty. In this way, LSCs ensure that economic value generated by the energy transition is retained locally. “Hybrid LSC” will develop the optimal configuration, design and operation of LSCs with citizen interaction in order to identify citizens’ needs and be able to propose solutions that will satisfy and improve their quality of service. The Hybrid LSC project is being carried out as part of the “Green Energy Lab” research initiative as part of the Energy Model Region innovation initiative.

In order to achieve this, the work has been structured around the following specific objectives:

• Validate solutions for decarbonisation of the local energy system while ensuring a positive impact on the wider energy infrastructure, on the local economy and local social aspects as well as local air quality
• Enhance the involvement of local energy consumers and producers, by creating energy communities in the development and the operation of local energy systems and test new business models
• Validate approaches, strategies, interfaces and tools to safely and securely operate an integrated local energy system across energy vectors (electricity, heating, cooling, water, wastes, etc.) in order to integrate higher shares of renewables while providing flexibilities to the system
• Benchmark technical solutions and business models that can be replicated in many regions and that are accepted by local citizens.
• Development and implementation of software solutions of LSC-ICT architecture and an open “Decision Making Tool for Energy Communities”