Abstract

Abstract
Widespread adoption of distributed energy resources led to changes in low -voltage power grids, turning prosumers into active members of distribution networks. This incentivized the development of consumercentric energy markets. These markets enable trades between peers without third -party involvement. However, violations in network technical constraints during trades challenges integration of market and grid. The methodology used in this work employs batteries to prevent network violations and improve social welfare in communities. The method uses sequential simulations of market optimization and distribution network power flows, installing batteries if violations are identified. Simulation solves nonlinear deterministic optimization for market trades and results are used in power flow analysis. The main contribution is assessing battery participation in energy markets to solve distribution network violations. Case studies use realistic data from distribution grids in Costa Rica neighborhoods. Results indicate potential gains in social welfare when using batteries, and case -by -case analysis for prevention of network violations.

Abstract
Over the last decades, district heating has been under development, especially the technologies like heat pumps, solar thermal and cogeneration. However, there is still a long way to go regarding regulation, legislation and market liberalization, which varies across countries and regions. The objective of this work is to investigate the potential benefits of decentralized district heating systems in residential areas. By studying a case study of EnergyLab Nordhavn, a residential area in Copenhagen, Denmark, the paper compares the market outcomes of decentralized systems such as community markets to the centralized pool market currently in practice, under the EMB3Rs platform. The study focuses on key market outputs such as dispatched production, revenues, and daily consumption patterns. Additionally, the paper examines the impact of advanced features such as flexible heat consumption and network awareness in the market. The results of this research suggest that decentralized district heating systems have the potential to improve market outcomes and increase energy efficiency in residential areas.

Abstract
Recently, the uptake of renewable energy has surged in distribution networks, particularly due to the costeffectiveness and modular nature of photovoltaic systems. This has paved the way to a new era of user engagement, embodied by individual and collective self-consumption, and promoted by the EU Directive 2018/ 2001, which advocates for the establishment of Renewable Energy Communities. However, the transposition of this directive varies across Member States, resulting in specific rules for each country. In this work, the impact that different energy sharing models have on the same community is quantitatively assessed. The policy analysis focuses on the regulation of two countries, Italy and Portugal, chosen for the specular ways in which their models operate, respectively virtually and physically. The analysis is supported by a suite of tools which includes two optimization problems for community's operations, one for each analysed regulation, and a set of consumer protection mechanisms, to ensure no member is losing money while in community. Results demonstrate that the sharing model impacts community's optimal operations, optimal battery size and configuration, and members' benefit. As these models are sensitive to different variables, personalized interventions at national level are required.

Abstract
-This article integrates forecasting methods with an optimized tariff model to assess the effectiveness of the schedule proposed by the Brazilian Association of Energy Traders, as outlined in the technical note NT n degrees 10/ 2022-SRM/ANEEL. This note discusses the regulatory measures to fully open the free energy market to all captive consumers by 2026. Several models, including Winters, SARIMA, ARIMA, and trend analysis were compared to determine the most suitable method for each input variable in the TAROT model, aiming to enhance forecasting accuracy. The results show that the new schedule proposed in the technical note successfully maintains the balance between the economic surplus of concessionaires and the socioeconomic welfare. Despite both approaches declining during the migration period of low-voltage consumers, their surpluses remain positive. However, there are negative effects on tariffs, impacting all consumer groups remaining in the regulated market, both high-voltage and low-voltage consumers. A key conclusion is that further regulatory changes are essential to mitigate additional increases in energy tariffs, aligning the proposed schedule with the reduction of legacy contracts.

Abstract
The integration of renewable generation requires new sources of flexibility, including the flexibility from distributed resources that can be unlocked via local flexibility markets (LFMs). In these markets, aggregators (AGGs) offer the flexibility from their portfolios to the flexibility requesting parties (FRP), i.e. system operators or other balancing requesting parties. To bid in LFMs and manage market uncertainty, AGGs must compute the flexibility they are willing to offer at each possible flexibility market price, by optimizing their portfolios. This paper proposes a 2-stage methodology to compute the flexibility bidding curve that an energy community can send to a LFM when behaving as an AGG of its members resources. At stage 1, the energy community (EC) manager computes the optimal EC operation without flexibility provision, minimizing the EC energy bill, and serving as the baseline to verify the flexibility provision. Then, at stage 2, for each possible flexibility price, the EC manager computes the optimal flexibility to be offered, minimizing the EC energy bill but including the flexibility provision incomes, to build the flexibility bidding curve.