Energy Sharing in the Commercial Sector With a Focus on SMEs in Germany

Determination of Technical Potentials

Abstract

This thesis analyses the technical potential of energy sharing with the inclusion of flexible consumers in the commercial sector, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim of the study is to use energy sharing to utilise electricity distribution grids efficiently and to reduce the electricity costs of the connected SMEs. The considerations are based on the cellular approach. The study area comprises a real rural distribution grid and the SMEs within it (brownfield planning). Ten companies from different economic sectors were analysed within this area with regard to their load profiles and flexible consumers. The load profiles of the study objects were recorded both for the company as a whole and for individual relevant consumers and producers. The results show that SMEs have relevant flexibility potential, particularly through controllable consumers such as heating systems, industrial trucks and air conditioning units as well as sector-specific systems. Based on the data collected, the analysis revealed a monthly energy sharing potential of 84 MWh for the ten companies in question - without optimising the use of flexibility. An extrapolation to the 117 SMEs in the grid area results in a total potential of 982 MWh per month. In addition to calculating the energy sharing potential, a simulation option is presented using the oemof.solph toolbox, which enables the economic and technical optimisation of flexibility deployment.