R.E.CO.N.S.I.D.E.R. Rethink Energy COmmuNitieS’ Integration and Design of Electricity stRategies

Description

Energy Communities (ECs) have emerged as a promising challenge towards the climate mitigation to comply with the 2050 decarbonization goals. In this context, the Clean Energy Package for All Europeans established the terms of Renewable and Citizen Energy Communities respectively to deliver environmental, economic and/or social benefits for their members.
Yet, RECs vary in diverse dimensions, including their size, number of prosumer households, PV systems, grid constraints to cite some of them. Despite the steps undertaken in normative terms, the taxonomy of the RECs’ forms is still ongoing.
Hence, a comprehensive understanding of how REC configurations affect the key performance metrics to optimize the electricity consumption is missing as well as a lack of systematic research to analyze together the potential combinations of key RECs design and identify the optimal cost-effective mix.
University of Mons (Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning and Faculty of Engineering) and the Centrale Lille Institut (Laboratoire d’Electrotechnique et Electronique de Puissance de Lille) offer a PhD vacancy in the aim to grow into research excellence in a joint research program in this field.
In a 3-year project, the two universities will develop a joint PhD thesis within a twofold scope:
•Enhancement and optimization of the energy performance of urban forms and configurations through an efficient technological planning to enable the technological performances of RECs through a data-driven methodological toolkit;
•Spatial identification and responsive urban design for minimization of the RECs’ constraints and the maximization of their benefits to reduce the demand for electricity consumption.