Community microgrids: A decision framework integrating social capital with business models for improved resiliency
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Khalilpour, K
Voinov, A
Hossain, MJ
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This paper introduces a novel Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework for systematic evaluation and alignment of business models for community microgrids within local energy markets (LEMs). Our approach uniquely integrates social capital as a critical metric for assessing the success of these models. The framework's robustness is demonstrated through a case study application, showcasing its utility as a decision-support tool. This tool effectively bridges the gap between the operational and technical aspects of microgrids with the socio-economic context of the communities they serve. A key contribution is the establishment of a systematic categorisation of business models and LEMs facilitated by the MCDA framework. This approach emphasises the importance of analysing the synergy between business model components (ownership, revenue/pricing, activities, value proposition) and the corresponding market mechanisms, infrastructure, and ICT frameworks. The results demonstrate how the framework guides an informed and context-sensitive selection of business models, leveraging the interconnected socio-technical dynamics inherent to community energy systems.
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Applied Energy
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367
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© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Eklund, M; Khalilpour, K; Voinov, A; Hossain, MJ, Community microgrids: A decision framework integrating social capital with business models for improved resiliency, Applied Energy, 2024, 367, pp. 123458