Agent-Based Model Analysis of Demand Response in Energy Communities

With the exponential increase in distributed renewable energy, optimizing local electricity consumption and generation is necessary to avoid congestion and over-stressing in the distribution network. Recent literature suggests that energy communities, along with smart grid applications, can effectively optimize local consumption and generation of electricity and stabilize the distribution network.

Energy communities are bottom-up citizen-driven initiatives involved in generating and consuming electricity from renewable sources (e.g., solar PV, wind farms). Traditionally, these communities consist only of residential members who use electricity mostly in the morning and evening. Meanwhile, non-residential community members (such as schools, office buildings, etc.) located in the neighborhood use electricity mostly during work hours. Thus, this complementary electricity consumption profile by residential and non-residential buildings can be utilized through demand response. Demand response is an incentive-based policy instrument that rewards consumers for regulating their electricity consumption based on availability and pricing. Demand response not only stabilizes the local distribution network but also is a step toward an inclusive, affordable, and sustainable energy system.

An agent-based model is developed to evaluate the effect of demand response on the self-sufficiency and expenditure on electricity import for the modeled energy community. This model allows the user to model an energy community (including both residential and non-residential members) and perform experiments to analyze the performance of a community using demand response. This model can help decision-makers in preparing an energy plan for the community.

This was my master’s thesis project for M.Sc. Engineering and Policy Analysis at TU Delft. This thesis project was done in collaboration with Croonwolter&Dros.

Click here to visit the GitHub repository of the model

The thesis report is available on the TU Delft repository and can be downloaded from this link.

Roadmap for Integration of Geo-Thermal Energy in Rotterdam

This project was a part of a Joint Interdisciplinary Project organized by TU Delft in the academic year 2021-22. The course brought students from different academic backgrounds together to solve real-world problems. I teamed up with Jeroen Emmerik and Angela Klein, who are studying M.Sc. Multi-Machine Engineering and M.Sc. Water Management at TU Delft, respectively. Our team was interdisciplinary and intercultural, making this experience even more rewarding. We worked with Gemeente Rotterdam (Municipality of Rotterdam) to create a roadmap for integrating geo-thermal energy into future urban development projects planned in the Waalhaven area of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Waalhaven is part of the old harbor area that is proposed to be converted into a residential area to tackle the housing crisis in the region. This area is also rich in geothermal resources that can be used for residential heating, reducing dependency on gas import. However, there is still a lot of misinformation around geothermal energy, leading to negative public perception. Additionally, identifying the technology, capacity, scale, and location required for the plant is quite challenging at a later stage of urban development. Therefore, to optimize the potential of geothermal energy, its application should be integrated with urban planning. This project tackled all the aforementioned challenges by creating a roadmap for integrating geothermal energy into urban planning.

The project deliverables communicated geothermal potential, possible technologies, and space requirements with urban planners to support the consideration of geothermal application during urban planning. Additionally, this report proposed a framework for involving local citizens in the project to improve social acceptance of geothermal energy.

My contribution to this project was an actor network scan and preparing a social engagement strategy. I also contributed to the estimation of heating demand for the planned neighborhood.

The salient features of this project are showcased in the following poster. If you have any questions or want to know more about this project, feel free to contact me.

Q-connect

Improving Plastic Circularity in Dutch Automotive Industry through Agent-Based Modelling

This project was conducted as part of the Advanced Agent Based Modelling course at TU Delft during the second quarter of the 2021/22 academic year. The project was carried out in collaboration with RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), with the aim of improving the circularity of plastic in the Dutch automotive industry. To achieve this goal, RIVM conducted stakeholder interviews and focused discussions to identify key barriers, opportunities, and policy solutions. Based on these findings, RIVM formulated a set of policies and sought to evaluate their effectiveness.

Our group developed an agent-based model to virtually test the effectiveness of these policies. The model is highly modular and can be accessed via the provided link. If you are interested in learning more about this project, please feel free to contact me.

Professional Journey

This is a short summary of my professional journey till now. If you have any questions or want to know more, please feel to contact me

Designing Solar PV Systems for Rural Electrification

As a Mechanical Engineering graduate with a Post Graduation Diploma in Power Plant Engineering, I began my professional journey in India by joining Boond, a social enterprise working for rural electrification. With a successful track record of electrifying over 300 households in 27 remote hamlets, I progressed to designing grid-scale solar PV systems at Vibgyour Energy in New Delhi, India. This role provided me with hands-on experience in designing and managing grid-scale projects.

Career Transition to Energy Policy

Driven by a desire to create a positive impact at the grassroots level, I transitioned to energy policy by joining Bask Research Foundation as a Research Associate. In this capacity, I worked on capacity building of electricity consumers in Rajasthan, India, and participated actively in regulatory matters related to electricity distribution in the region. This experience included extensive travel to remote and serene villages of Rajasthan, which enriched both my career and personal growth. During this period, I also focused on enhancing my analytical and policy analysis skills by taking courses on Data analysis with Python and Energy economy and policy offered by IIT Madras, attending i-policy for Young Leaders, a crash course organised by the Centre for Civil Society, and attending the workshop on Energy efficiency in emerging economies by the International Energy Agency. These programs not only helped me understand the fundamentals of energy efficiency but also connected me with young aspiring leaders working for energy transition at the policy front.

Moving to The Netherlands

In 2020, I moved to the Netherlands to pursue a master’s degree in policy analysis using data-driven tools and simulation at TU Delft. As a part of the Engineering and Policy Analysis (EPA) program, I worked on multiple interdisciplinary real-world problems. To make the most of my master’s experience, I am following the Honours Programme Master (HPM) track of my program, with a focus on the modelling and simulation track of EPA. Consequently, I joined the HERoS-EU project as a Research Assistant and contributed to building an agent-based model of the Hague to simulate the spread of infection in the city.

In addition to my academic pursuits, I have been an active member of various student associations. During my first year of the master’s program, I served as a board member of Dentatus, the study association of EPA. In my second year, I served as TPM faculty ambassador for Delft Global Student Club, an initiative for promoting research and sustainability projects in the global south. I also took on an editorial role for publishing the first edition of Delft Global Student Club magazine.

PhD Journey

Upon completing my master’s degree, I was determined to pursue a career that would allow me to tackle global challenges at the intersection of technology, policy, and society. This led me to discover a unique opportunity to work as a doctoral candidate at Maastricht University, in 2023, where I was drawn to both the research topic and the beauty of the city.

My doctoral research focuses on the intricate interplay between climate policies, public sentiment, and macroeconomic firm behavior. To analyze the complex relationships between these factors, I plan to employ a range of mixed research methods, including social media analysis and agent-based modeling. Through my research, I strive to provide data-driven insights that can support effective policymaking in addressing the urgent challenge of climate change.

I hope this summary gives you a better understanding of my professional journey. If you have any questions or want to know more, please feel free to contact me. This summary was last updated in August 2022, and I look forward to writing more chapters in my professional journey.