Community Energy Literature Review

    O’Malley et al. (2016) proposed the definition that “Energy Systems Integration (ESI) is the process of coordinating the operation and planning of energy systems across multiple pathways and/or geographical scales to deliver reliable, cost effective energy services with minimal impact on the environment.” The vectors which transfer energy from its source to where it is needed, usually at a distance and often at a later time, include electricity, fuels such as oil and gas, and heat-exchanging materials such as the fluids in a central heating system.   O’Malley et al. stress the interaction between the different energy vectors, and with transport, water and communications systems. They note that every energy system is different, that the people involved in such systems have different motivations, incentives, and information, and that “there may be no coordination across these domains to determine the best option for all actors involved.” The authors identify three...

  Peter Crone, speaking at a Community Energy event in Plymouth on 14th November described the potential of electric vehicles to provide energy storage.  He claimed that there are 31.7 million cars in the UK, and that the average car travels 22 miles per day and spends 96% of its time parked. He asked the audience to consider the energy storage situation if the all these vehicles were electric, and their spare electrical capacity was made available to the grid. Taking the Nissan Leaf as an example, this would amount to 949 million kWh, close to the 978 million kWh average daily energy use in the UK. Thus the national fleet could store almost a day’s energy supply, offering a valuable balance against the intermittent nature of renewable sources and the fluctuating nature of hourly demand. Peter gave as an example the Western Isles Consolidated V2G and RE Study, which is described along with other related projects at https://www.newpower.info/2018/02/vehicle-to-grid-pro...