The role of distributed energy systems in European energy transition

This study presents a comprehensive analysis on the energy demand and supply of typical European city centers for present time and 2050 horizon according to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) climatic scenario A1B. Building and urban archetypes are modelled to represent the building stock considering thermal characteristics and local climatic conditions of typical city centres in European cities in order to understand the demand. Subsequently, present and future heating and cooling demands for these urban architypes are computed considering present and future climate as well as renovation scenarios. Microgrid systems are designed for the urban archetypes to evaluate the potential for renewable energy integration. Results of the study reveal that a notable reduction in energy demand can be anticipated due to the building renovation. Furthermore, the study reveals that the average renewable energy generation within the micro-grid can be reached up to 52% using solar PV and wind energy after considering grid curtailments for 2050 scenario considering lower grid curtailments. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd