Energy sharing refers to the shared use or economic allocation of renewable energy among multiple participants. For example, electricity from a PV system can be allocated to households, commercial businesses or municipal facilities according to defined rules. The participants do not necessarily have to be located behind the same grid connection point, provided that the relevant national market model permits grid-based allocation between the respective metering points.
Energy Sharing at a Glance
- Energy sharing enables multiple participants to use renewable electricity from a shared or allocated generation system.
- Time-resolved measurement data and defined allocation keys determine how much energy is allocated to each participant.
- Generation that exceeds the eligible simultaneous consumption and any remaining electricity demand must be handled through supply, feed-in or market agreements.
- Eligible participants, market roles, billing procedures and cost components depend on the applicable national legal and market framework.
How Does Energy Sharing Work?
In energy sharing, the output of one or more renewable energy systems is compared with the consumption values of the participants within defined time intervals. The generation systems, participants and metering points must be clearly identified. Suitable meters provide the required time-resolved measurement data.
An allocation model determines what proportion of the available generation is assigned to each participant. With a static allocation key, participants receive fixed percentage shares. Dynamic allocation keys can instead take factors such as actual consumption during the relevant time interval into account. This allows available generation to be allocated preferentially to participants who require electricity at the same time.
The allocation is financial and related to energy accounting. Physically, electricity flows according to the electrical characteristics of the grid and cannot be directed to a particular participant. However, the billing system records which portion of the measured consumption was covered by the shared generation.
If generation exceeds the participants’ eligible simultaneous consumption, a surplus arises. Depending on the technical and regulatory model, this surplus can be stored, fed into the grid or marketed. If the allocated generation is insufficient, the remaining demand is covered as residual electricity through an electricity supply agreement.
Typical Applications of Energy Sharing
Energy sharing can be implemented across different participant structures:
- Multiple households use the electricity generated by a shared PV system for accounting purposes, even though they have separate grid connections and meters.
- Commercial businesses within a geographically connected area share the output of one or more renewable energy systems.
- Municipal facilities such as schools, administrative buildings or sports facilities are assigned to a shared generation portfolio.
- Companies with multiple sites allocate locally or regionally generated electricity to different consumption points in accordance with the applicable market model.
Energy sharing describes the process of allocating energy within the electricity market, whereas an energy community describes an organisational or legal structure formed by the participating parties. It can be a function of such a community, but it is not necessarily tied to this organisational model.
Benefits, Limitations and Technical Requirements
Energy sharing can extend the accounted self-consumption of renewable energy beyond individual buildings or grid connection points. Participants without suitable space for their own generation systems can therefore take part in a shared system. When combined with appropriate price signals, flexible consumers or BESS, energy sharing can also help align consumption more closely with local generation over time.
The economic benefit depends on the temporal alignment of generation and consumption, the selected allocation key and the applicable pricing and billing rules. Grid fees, taxes, levies and other costs may also apply to allocated energy volumes. Their specific treatment differs between countries and market models.
The technical implementation requires time-synchronised measurement data, clear allocation of metering points and participants, and reliable data transmission. Rules must also be defined for the allocation key, residual electricity supply, the handling of surpluses and possible changes to the group of participants.
The concept must be distinguished from a private network or private direct line. Grid-based energy sharing uses the public electricity grid. A private network or direct line, by contrast, can enable the physical supply of electricity within a geographically and electrically defined infrastructure.
How Does EcoPhi Support Energy Sharing?
EcoPhi can collect generation and consumption data from different systems, participants or sites and consolidate it within a shared data structure. The processed measurement data can be used for visualisation and provided as a data basis for allocation calculations or external billing systems. Legally and commercially compliant allocation and billing are performed through the designated systems and market roles.
An EMS can additionally control BESS and flexible consumers. This allows generation surpluses to be shifted over time or consumption processes to be aligned more closely with the available renewable energy. EcoPhi provides the technical monitoring, data processing, communication and control functions required for this purpose. However, EcoPhi does not replace electricity suppliers, metering operators, balancing responsible parties or other required market roles. The specific implementation depends on the available device interfaces and the requirements of the applicable market model.
Energy Sharing in Summary
Energy sharing enables renewable generation to be economically allocated among multiple participants. It requires time-resolved measurement data, clear assignments between participants and metering points, and defined allocation rules. The specific implementation is governed by the relevant national legal and market framework.
Frequently Asked Questions About Energy Sharing
What happens if the shared generation is insufficient?
Any demand not covered by the shared generation must be supplied under an electricity supply agreement. How energy-sharing volumes and residual electricity are presented on the bill depends on the applicable market model.
What is the difference between energy sharing and an energy community?
Energy sharing describes the allocation of energy volumes among multiple participants. An energy community is an organisational or legal structure within which energy sharing can take place.
Can BESS be integrated into energy sharing?
A BESS can store generation surpluses and make them available at a later time. Whether and how stored energy may be allocated to participants depends on the applicable accounting, guarantees-of-origin and market rules.
Is an EMS required for energy sharing?
An EMS is not mandatory in every energy-sharing model. However, where multiple systems, BESS or flexible consumers are involved, it can handle measurement data collection, data provision and operational optimisation.