A Cyber-Resilient Zero Trust Architecture for Renewable Energy Communities

Abstract Renewable Energy Communities have emerged as a cornerstone of the rapid transition towards renewable energy sources, where individuals, businesses, and organizations collaborate to generate, share, and consume renewable energy. However, the effective realization of these communities hinges on the development and deployment of robust and secure communication architectures that can manage their inherent complexity and facilitate seamless interactions among diverse stakeholders. This paper analyzes the communication requirements and cybersecurity challenges inherent to renewable energy communities and proposes a novel secure communication architecture that integrates both wired and wireless technologies. The architecture is designed to be scalable, cost-efficient, and compliant with IEC 62443, ensuring both operational efficiency and protection against evolving cyber threats.