Scalable Energy Management Model for Integrating V2G Capabilities into Renewable Energy Communities

To promote a more decentralized energy system, the European Commission introduced the concept of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs). Meanwhile, the increasing penetration of Electric Vehicles (EVs) may significantly increase peak power demand and consumption ramps when charging sessions are left uncontrolled. However, by integrating smart charging strategies, such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), EV storage can actively support the energy balance within RECs. In this context, this work proposes a comprehensive and scalable model for leveraging smart charging capabilities in RECs. This approach focuses on an external cooperative framework to optimize incentive acquisition and reduce dependence on Medium Voltage (MV) grid substations. It adopts a hybrid strategy, combining Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) to solve the day-ahead global optimization problem with local rule-based controllers to manage power deviations. Simulation results for a six-month case study, using historical demand data and synthetic charging sessions generated from real-world events, demonstrate that V2G integration leads to a better alignment of overall power consumption with zonal pricing, smoother load curves with a 15.5% reduction in consumption ramps, and enhanced cooperation with a 90% increase in shared power redistributed inside the REC.