Energy storage sizing while considering flexible loads in a Dutch energy community

This study investigates the technical, financial and environmental effects of adding energy storage to a microgrid, while also considering flexible loads and storage sizing using commercially available devices. A simulation study is presented for the Dutch energy community the Aardehuizen, which aims to increase their grid autarky. Hereby, several scenarios are investigated, including a scenario when no flexible loads are controlled, when all flexible loads are controlled, or when only a single type of flexible load (heat pump, e-boiler, electric vehicle charging, whitegoods) is controlled. The results show that controlling only the flexible loads (i.e., no storage) increases the grid independence and reduces peaks. Here, the e-boilers as a group contribute the most to this reduction. When sizing storage, considering e-boiler control alone or in combination with other flexible loads leads to a reduction in the storage sizing required from 4 to 10 LiFePO4 4.32 kWh units in on-grid situations. Also, in all scenarios adding storage reduces the CO2 used in the neighbourhood. However, a yearly financial net profit is only achieved by adding storage and control over all flexible loads.