Sustainable household energy supply: methodological approaches to making optimal economic decisions
Abstract
The destruction of Ukraine's power infrastructure due to military actions exacerbates the problem of sustainable household energy supply. Frequent power, gas, and water outages lead to network overloads, rising tariffs, and decreased energy security. The vulnerability of traditional centralized systems highlights the need to explore alternative power supply approaches for the residential sector, particularly through the development of prosumerism, which involves active household participation in energy generation. This paper examines possible energy strategies for seven groups of typical private households utilizing different energy sources, including renewables. Methodological approaches are proposed for selecting economically optimal energy solutions, considering natural and climatic conditions, energy resource prices, the feasibility of using green technologies and energy efficiency measures, as well as state energy policy. Specifically, the potential of solar and wind power plants, battery storage systems, and diesel generators as means of autonomous energy supply for the residential sector is analyzed. The advantages and drawbacks of these technologies are assessed in the context of possible short- and long-term disconnections from the main power grid. The study results indicate that an effective household energy strategy should be based not only on minimizing economic costs but also on increasing energy independence and resilience to crises. Optimal economic decisions must take into account all energy-related home expenditures (including costs for heating, cooking, water heating, lighting, and economic losses caused by power outages) as well as potential revenues (such as savings achieved through self-produced energy consumption and income from selling energy surpluses). Key factors influencing household decision-making include government support, the availability of investment resources, and the implementation of economic mechanisms to stimulate the use of renewable energy sources. The proposed methodological approaches contribute to strengthening the country’s overall energy security and to developing effective models of sustainable energy supply for households.
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