A novel user-centric decentralized multi-objective energy management system for energy communities

Abstract

This paper presents a decentralized energy management approach based on a Multi-Objective Energy Management System called DMOEMS, designed for Energy Communities (ECs), aiming to create resilient and sustainable energy systems. DMOEMS integrates a multi-objective optimization framework that aggregates conflicting goals–minimizing electricity cost and CO2, reducing Photovoltaic (PV) curtailment, and maximizing self-consumption–by converting them into a single objective using user-defined weight factors. Each local controller optimizes the operation of distributed assets based on localized constraints and user preferences, while an EC controller coordinates aggregated power profiles through an iterative feedback mechanism. This coordination dynamically adjusts weight factors and curtailment strategies to resolve grid congestion without compromising individual privacy. Simulation studies on the realistic Aardehuizen EC demonstrate that DMOEMS effectively mitigates overloading scenarios across diverse operating conditions (high EV charging, normal demand, and excess PV generation), user satisfaction, reduced operational costs, and lower CO2 emissions. The proposed framework highlights the potential of a democratic, decentralized approach to energy management in modern ECs. The numerical results for assets management using DMOEMS indicate improvements in different aspects such as reduction of 20 % in CO2 emissions, improving 4 % in electricity cost savings, and a 30 % reduction in PV curtailment relative to baseline scenarios. Besides, the proposed mechanism in the DMOEMS shows improvement in computational cost by converging faster to resolve grid congestion compared to conventional approaches.