K. (Klaas) Damstra, LLM

Flexible Energy Communities

The NWO-funded Flexible Energy Communities (FlexECs) is a research project involving three different universities (University of Groningen, University of Wageningen, and Delft University of Technology) and a range of societal partners. The FlexECs project is a multidisciplinary research project and focuses on the interaction and synergies between energy communities and electric vehicles.

Energy communities (ECs) are seen as one of the cornerstones of the sustainable energy transition. Yet, ECs’ success is limited by two main factors: (1) grid capacity at the distribution system level, and (2) the ability and willingness of people, public and private entities to engage in joint activities in the energy sector by means of forming a “community”. This project investigates whether “mobile” ECs, based on electrical vehicles, can address these limitations. Specifically, electrical vehicles provide opportunities for (1) energy transport outside the fixed grid, and (2) broadening the range of communities that can form ECs.