Optimisation of community shared solar application in energy efficient communities

Integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) micro-generation into residential buildings is emerging rapidly as an effective method for mitigating the impact of housing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, PV micro-generation is confronted with several challenges: (a) the average self-consumption does not exceed 25% in cold-climate regions; and (b) most of the generated energy during daytime is exported to the grid at a lower monetary rate per unit than that of imported energy. Governments and authorities envision the value of considering the integration of renewables at the community level since this strategy can leverage self-consumption and increase its social impacts and economics. This research aims to develop a systematic framework that simulates and optimises community shared solar. The performance scenarios of two sustainable communities are simulated and presented as case studies. In the first scenario, each unit is connected to a small PV system. In the second scenario, all units are connected to a large PV system. Evidence-based Monte Carlo simulation is applied to ensure the stochasticity of the diverse household users. It is concluded that the community shared solar application is preferred over individual rooftop applications as the former secures the uniform distribution of generated electricity among the community members.