Mixed-use neighbourhood to maximise urban energy community potential

Abstract

Renewable energy communities (REC) are key drivers in promoting energy transition to renewable energy sources (RES). To maximise local potential for RECs, matching demand and local production requires the integration of different load profiles. Residential users prevail in urban areas while planning mixed-use neighbourhoods would contribute to having complementary loads towards urban RECs. Mixed areas can optimise the use of renewable production at different hours and limit demand pressures on the network. However, detailed spatial analyses are required to cluster building functions for long-term benefits. This work investigates which mix of building functions in urban blocks can maximise energy self-consumption and self-sufficiency. Five blocks combining residential with productive and tertiary activities are chosen, from a completely residential to a heterogeneous mix. The single loads use representative buildings for the Italian context. The integration of building functions flattens the energy peak loads in the district while increasing the use of PV production. The study identifies the residential and non-residential ratios to maximise energy selfconsumption and self-sufficiency. Domestic users would mainly exploit the production from nearby non-domestic buildings, but adequate exchange mechanisms and upgrade of infrastructure still need to be implemented.