Evaluating the Potential for Developing Local Energy Communities in Sweden: Case Studies at Jättesten and Chalmers Campus

Paper in proceeding, 2026

As the Swedish electricity system transitions to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, local energy communities (LECs), comprising groups of consumers and producers who share locally generated energy and energy-related infrastructure, are emerging as a promising solution to support the power grid. This paper aims to quantitatively evaluate the potential of LECs to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the Sweden’s electricity system. To this end, two real-world demonstration sites in Sweden are analyzed: Jättesten, representing a residential load, and Chalmers Campus, representing a commercial load. The key performance indicators considered in these case studies include total annual operating cost, self-consumption (SC), self-sufficiency (SS), and peak shaving capability. The results show that combining residential and commercial loads within a single LEC significantly improves overall performance by leveraging demand diversity. Participation in LECs can reduce annual operating costs by up to 14 %, improve SC and SS by up to 4 %, and lower peak power demand by up to 20 %. Moreover, the analysis underscores the potential for further gains through the greater integration of photovoltaics (PVs) and battery energy storage system (BESS).