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Peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity sharing or trading can empower consumers and prosumers, incentivize the balancing of generation and demand locally, increase system resilience and reliability, and help in achieving societal goals, such as increasing renewable energy penetration. Nevertheless, the development of P2P trading in actual environments has been slow due to the unclear position of P2P markets in the power system. Recent developments in the European legislation are promising for the establishment of P2P markets and energy communities. Hence, the interplay between local trading and existing market structures needs to be addressed carefully. Furthermore, P2P trading with distributed resources presumes that electricity end users will become active players in the power system. This paper proposes a bidding and pricing mechanism for local markets, considering the external markets; a new approach to balance settlement and balance responsibility when local trading occurs; and an interface to promote end-user interest in, and interactions with, local energy trading. The proposed local market concept and interface solution promote the coupling between local and existing retail, wholesale and ancillary service markets, and can be seen as a step towards the establishment of local energy markets in real-life settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy sharing is a fast-emerging concept that concerns electricity exchanges between grid-connected end-users. This innovative user-centric market model incentivises the creation of more distributed, collaborative, and democratised energy networks compared to traditional ones. Current research on P2P energy sharing has essentially focused on the definition of its techno-economic attributes, hence sound research on end-user engagement in this context is still lacking in the scientific literature. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by proposing a novel end-user engagement framework constructed around the P2P energy sharing context that was trialled in 3 different pilots in Portugal. These pilots represent the first Portuguese testing grounds where this concept was demonstrated under real market conditions. Findings based on a sample of 123 participants suggest that the proposed framework was effective in raising awareness and empowering unmotivated, passive end-users in an initial phase of the project implementation, as well as in retaining the interest of motivated end-users during a later phase. Furthermore, the empirical analysis allowed to conclude that participation in the project was predominantly voluntary rather than coerced. The proposed end-user engagement framework contributes to the scientific literature since it facilitates and guides the design of future P2P energy sharing initiatives. • The first end-user engagement framework framed on P2P energy sharing is presented. • The impact of the framework on 123 participants from 3 real-life pilots is assessed. • The framework was effective in raising awareness in the initial phase of the project. • The framework retained the interest of end-users in a later phase of the project. • Participation in the project was predominantly voluntary rather than coerced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co-evolution of techno-economic, societal, environmental and political-institutional systems towards sustainable energy transitions is largely influencing the disruptive reconfiguration of the energy sector across the globe. At the heart of this disruption is the peer-to-peer energy sharing concept. Nonetheless, peer-to-peer energy sharing business models are yet very little put into practice due to the rigid energy market structures and lagging regulatory frameworks across the globe. In view of this, this paper presents a novel peer-to-peer energy sharing business model developed specifically for the context of the Portuguese energy market, which was successfully trialed in three pilot projects in Portugal under real market conditions. All things considered, the novelty of this paper lies on an innovative approach for the collaborative use of the surplus electricity generation from photovoltaic systems between end-users under the same low voltage/medium voltage transformer substation, which resulted in direct financial benefits to them. While absent deregulation obstructs the implementation of effective peer-to-peer energy sharing markets in Portugal, such demonstration projects are essential to challenge restrictive regulatory frameworks that do not keep pace with techno-economic and societal innovations, thus helping to build the emerging consumer-centric energy regime and disrupt the old one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are emerging as an effective concept and model to empower the active participation of citizens in the energy transition, not only as energy consumers but also as promoters of environmentally friendly energy generation solutions, particularly through the use of photovoltaic panels. This paper aims to contribute to the management and optimization of individual and community Distributed Energy Resources (DER). The solution follows a price and source-based REC management program, in which consumers' day-ahead flexible loads (Flex Offers) are shifted according to electricity generation availability, prices, and personal preferences, to balance the grid and incentivize user participation. The heuristic approach used in the proposed algorithms allows for the optimization of energy resources in a distributed edge-and-fog approach with a low computational overhead. The simulations performed using real-world energy consumption and flexibility data of a REC with 50 dwellings show an average cost reduction, taking into consideration all the seasons of the year, of 6.5%, with a peak of 12.2% reduction in the summer, and an average increase of 32.6% in individual self-consumption. In addition, the case study demonstrates promising results regarding grid load balancing and the introduction of intra-community energy trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, numerous studies have explored the opportunities and challenges for emerging decentralized energy systems and business models. However, few studies have focussed specifically on the economic and social value associated with three emerging models: peer-to-peer energy trading (P2P), community self-consumption (CSC) and transactive energy (TE). This article presents the findings of a systematic literature review to address this gap. The paper makes two main contributions to the literature. Firstly, it offers a synthesis of research on the social and economic value of P2P, CSC and TE systems, concluding that there is evidence for a variety of sources of social value (including energy independence, local benefits, social relationships, environmental responsibility and participation and purpose) and economic value (including via self-consumption of renewable electricity, reduced electricity import costs, and improved electricity export prices). Secondly, it identifies factors and conditions necessary for the success of these models, which include willingness to participate, participant engagement with technology, and project engagement of households and communities, among other factors. Finally, it discusses conflicts and trade-offs in the value propositions of the models, how the three models differ from one another in terms of the value they aim to deliver and some of the open challenges that require further attention by researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]