Renewable Energy Communities Optimal Resources Dispatch (RECORD)

The Renewable Energy Communities Optimal Resources Dispatch (RECORD) Lab Access
 (LA) was aimed to test and validate an advanced Renewable Energy Community (REC) man
agement controller, designed by the User Group (UG) members of Ricerca sul Sistema En
ergetico (RSE). This controller applies a multi-objective optimization strategy to enhance the
 operation of a REC, improving energy self-consumption, reducing costs, and enabling a more
 efficient interaction with the electrical grid.
 In order to assess the controller’s effectiveness, a Control Hardware-In-the-Loop (CHIL) test
ing setup was implemented at the Smart Grid Interoperability Laboratory (SGILAB) in Ispra,
 Italy. The performed tests were aimed to assess how RECORD controller could optimize the
 dispatch of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), enhance energy sharing among community
 members, andminimize operational costs, including those associated with Battery Energy Stor
age System (BESS) degradation and imbalance penalties. Through a communication setup
 based on Modbus TCP/IP communication protocol, the controller was interfaced with a Real
Time (RT) simulator, allowing for the dynamic exchange of control signals, under real REC
 scenario conditions.
 The obtained test results confirmed the effectiveness of the RECORD controller in managing
 Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) efficiently. The controller under investigation demon
strated the capability to dynamically optimize REC operations, ensuring that controllable DERs
 were utilized efficiently. More in detail, the controller successfully regulated the controlled
 BESS, maintaining an optimal State of Charge (SOC) while responding to external conditions in
 Real-Time. Additionally, the simulation results showed that the controller could improve energy
 self-consumption, reducing dependency on the grid and optimising the REC economic perfor
mance. Furthermore, the outcomes demonstrated the capability of RECORD to minimize cost
 penalties, thanks to an adaptive Real-Time optimization strategy based on periodically updated
 generation and demand profiles.
 In conclusion, the RECORDLabAccessoffered avalid CHILtest setup to validate the proposed
 REC controller. By leveraging CHIL-based testing, the project has provided a robust validation
 methodology, ensuring that the developed controller can operate reliably in real-world condi
tions. Future work will focus on expanding the controller’s capabilities through real hardware
 integration, multi-REC models, and innovative grid service applications. These advancements
 will contribute to the development of next-generation smart energy communities, fostering a
 more sustainable, flexible, and resilient energy landscape.
 This report is organized as follows. Section 1 provides an overview of the RECORD project, out
lining its motivation, objectives, and scope. Section 2 presents a review of the state-of-the-art
 in REC management, discussing existing regulatory frameworks and technological advance
ments that support the integration of DERs within energy communities. Section 3 describes in
 detail the executed tests and experiments, explaining the used methodologies, the simulation
 setup, and the technical parameters involved in the developed otimization algorithm. Section 4
 is dedicated to the results and conclusions, summarizing the key findings and assessing the
 overall performance of the RECORD controller in optimizing REC operations. Finally, Section 5
 identifies open issues and suggestions for improvements, focusing on future enhancements
 such as Power Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) validation, multi-lab collaboration strategies, and
 the potential for RECs to provide grid services.