Maximizing the degree of autarky of a 16 house neighbourhood by locally produced energy and smart control

In this work we investigate the possibilities of ”soft-islanding” (near autarkic behaviour) a microgrid with 16 houses in the Netherlands, using the DEMKit simulation toolkit. We consider a situation where energy is generated by PV-panels as well as by a CHP and energy is stored using batteries as well as a heat buffer. This research is inspired by the Aardehuizen, which is a community in the Netherlands where the inhabitants strive to use as much as possible of their sustainably produced energy locally, motivated by the ideology that their community must act sustainably and self-sufficient, rather than by financial incentives. In a first step the proper size for the equipment is determined based on energy production and consumption data of several weeks in the year. Secondly one year simulations for several scenarios are presented and the degree of autarky for each scenario is compared. We demonstrate that a (nearly) autarkic operating microgrid can be achieved, with a proper but also with a realistic sizing of the components. Combining this proper sizing of energy generation and storage assets, with an advanced control, it is possible to achieve a degree of autarky of 99.1% over a year, meaning that less than one percent of the energy has to be imported from the main grid.