Influence of users type on costs and primary energy savings potential for decentralized energy systems

Decentralization of the energy production system is emerging as one of the best strategies to achieve and increased system resiliency and a reduction of carbon emissions through a more rational use of primary energy resources: both of which are mandatory traits for the energy systems of the upcoming future. Smart grids and specifically microgrids are able to deal in an effective way with distributed energy systems, thus emerging as a technology able to fill such gap. Microgrids can serve several types of users, both in rural off-grid settings and in highly urbanized areas. With this study we aim to understand how the type of user affects the potential for primary energy resources savings in an highly urbanized scenario. Specifically the effects of a decentralization strategy are confronted between a purely residential user, a tertiary user and a mix of the two; with the users represented by both simulated and measured data for a university campus in Singapore. The analysis is carried out by confronting the optimal set of technologies needed to meet the users demand, where such configuration is determined following a minimal life cycle cost criteria. Results show the potential savings in costs and primary energy usage for the proposed scenarios.