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reports - Deliverable

Cost-benefit analysis of technological solutions serving an energy community

reports - Deliverable

Cost-benefit analysis of technological solutions serving an energy community

The analyses carried out demonstrate that the Renewable Energy Community in Tirano based on a woody biomass, photovoltaic and mini-hydroelectric ORC cogenerator would potentially account for approximately 50% of local electricity loads from renewable sources and help to reduce CO2 emissions by 18.3%. The payback time and net present value of the investment are approximately 5 years and €12 million respectively.

Renewable Energy Communities (REC) will contribute to the development of local energy management models, with the direct involvement of citizens in the exploitation of indigenous resources and optimized sharing of renewable plants. The legislative decree in progress provides for the conditions for a rapid development of new initiatives with material social and territorial impact, while the PNRR [Italian recovery and resilience plan] promotes them with an investment of €2.2 billion. The energy analysis of the city of Tirano was carried out with reference to 2019 and 2020 to determine the characteristics of the biomass cogeneration (ORC) plant, any additional renewable plants to be installed, as well as the production and consumption of electricity relating to the distribution network and of thermal energy relating to the district heating network. Energy-environmental performance indices were calculated to evaluate the penetration of renewable production – with particular attention to generation from woody biomass -, the rate of self-consumed renewable electricity, and CO2 emissions. An economic analysis of a REC with three (biomass ORC, PV and mini-hydroelectric) new plants with shared ownership was then carried out to assess the SPB and NPV considering the current support tools for shared electricity. The analysis was extended to different scenarios in terms of cogenerator management methods, installed photovoltaic power and price for the sale of the thermal energy produced by the REC, which is lower than in 2020, to cover the cost for the use of the pre-existing district heating network. In the best scenario, the REC would allow for an annual increase in renewable electricity of 27.9% (to 50% of the overall load). The demand for energy from the public grid would be reduced from 60.0% to 51.7%. Sharing electricity would allow for a 18.3% reduction in climate-changing emissions. The SPB for the REC would be approximately 5 years, the NPV approximately €13 million if the ORC operated with the aim of maximizing electrical producibility. The feasibility study carried out by RSE on the Tirano REC and focused on woody biomass can contribute to the development of initiatives which, in addition to reducing climate-altering emissions and energy costs, promote all renewable technologies, achieving a greater share of the national component compared to photovoltaics, to exploit the many resources of the Italian territory, with particular attention to internal areas and the fight against energy poverty.

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