Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case study

The role of energy communities that utilize renewable energy sources is gaining attention in promoting sector coupling and carbon neutrality. Cost-effective operation of these communities requires novel tools to optimize electricity and heat generation, assess available flexibility, and reduce opera...

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Main Authors: Hussain Ahmed, Matti Vilkko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014206152500420X
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author Hussain Ahmed
Matti Vilkko
author_facet Hussain Ahmed
Matti Vilkko
author_sort Hussain Ahmed
collection DOAJ
description The role of energy communities that utilize renewable energy sources is gaining attention in promoting sector coupling and carbon neutrality. Cost-effective operation of these communities requires novel tools to optimize electricity and heat generation, assess available flexibility, and reduce operational costs. This study presents a novel two-level optimization framework for a Finnish energy community to quantify flexibility, design optimal power dispatching strategies, and maximizes profits by participating in the day-ahead energy market. The proposed energy community integrates batteries, solar panels, fuel cells, a heat accumulator, gas boilers, and combined heat and power engines for electricity and heat generation. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model, integrating unit commitment and economic dispatch optimization concepts. In the first level, the framework determines the optimal water mass flow for district heating network to meet heat demand. If demand cannot be met by adjusting the mass flow alone, the second level optimizes the temperature of the supply water to satisfy the remaining heat demand. A case study is presented to demonstrate the novelty and applicability of the framework in managing future energy communities, quantifying flexibility, and improving decision-making.
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spelling doaj-art-cb78ed0ccd1a4a98b45707795bdb607f2025-08-20T03:41:46ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems0142-06152025-09-0117011087210.1016/j.ijepes.2025.110872Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case studyHussain Ahmed0Matti Vilkko1Corresponding author.; Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Automation Technology and Mechanical Engineering Unit, Tampere University, Tampere, FinlandFaculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Automation Technology and Mechanical Engineering Unit, Tampere University, Tampere, FinlandThe role of energy communities that utilize renewable energy sources is gaining attention in promoting sector coupling and carbon neutrality. Cost-effective operation of these communities requires novel tools to optimize electricity and heat generation, assess available flexibility, and reduce operational costs. This study presents a novel two-level optimization framework for a Finnish energy community to quantify flexibility, design optimal power dispatching strategies, and maximizes profits by participating in the day-ahead energy market. The proposed energy community integrates batteries, solar panels, fuel cells, a heat accumulator, gas boilers, and combined heat and power engines for electricity and heat generation. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model, integrating unit commitment and economic dispatch optimization concepts. In the first level, the framework determines the optimal water mass flow for district heating network to meet heat demand. If demand cannot be met by adjusting the mass flow alone, the second level optimizes the temperature of the supply water to satisfy the remaining heat demand. A case study is presented to demonstrate the novelty and applicability of the framework in managing future energy communities, quantifying flexibility, and improving decision-making.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014206152500420XEnergy communities modellingOptimal dispatchQuantifying flexibilitySmart gridMILP
spellingShingle Hussain Ahmed
Matti Vilkko
Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case study
International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems
Energy communities modelling
Optimal dispatch
Quantifying flexibility
Smart grid
MILP
title Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case study
title_full Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case study
title_fullStr Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case study
title_full_unstemmed Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case study
title_short Quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities’ participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies: A Finnish case study
title_sort quantifying flexibility and optimizing energy communities participation in energy markets through dispatch strategies a finnish case study
topic Energy communities modelling
Optimal dispatch
Quantifying flexibility
Smart grid
MILP
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014206152500420X
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AT mattivilkko quantifyingflexibilityandoptimizingenergycommunitiesparticipationinenergymarketsthroughdispatchstrategiesafinnishcasestudy