Prospects for autonomous low-power renewable energy communities

Abstract This article explores strategies for ensuring the autonomous operation of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) in Ukraine, aligning with the ongoing reform in the country’s energy sector. The reform emphasizes the implementation of promising autonomous decentralized systems, potentially leading to the establishment of RECs. These initiatives aim to incorporate low-capacity sources in providing electricity during autonomous conditions or outages. Examining data on small electricity producers reveals the prevalence of solar power plants, the emergence of micro-hydro plants, and limited representation of wind power. The article also underscores the increasing significance of biogas in electricity production. Furthermore, it explores the formation of RECs as a contemporary decentralized solution, requiring a thorough analysis of sustainability for autonomous operation. The utilization of various generation types in the structure of RES (renewable energy sources) communities enables the adaptation of electricity generation to dynamic conditions, ensuring system resilience in the face of failures or challenges associated with a predominant generation source. The core focus shifts towards optimizing existing hybrid systems encompassing different renewable energy sources. This involves analyzing load and capacity distribution, technological profiles, and integration strategies for RECs into the power grid, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of Ukraine’s energy security. The proposed approach involves mathematical modeling of low-power hybrid renewable systems that derive electricity from RECs. This modeling incorporates generation characteristics, objective functions, and constraints to facilitate multi-criteria decision-making. The results underscore the significance of exploring diverse scenarios and combinations of generating sources, taking into account resource potential, electricity generation variability, operating costs, and other factors. This holistic approach allows for the optimization of the RES community structure, striking a balance between reliability and cost considerations.