  In this paper, we aim to leverage peer to peer (P2P) transactive energy
framework for optimal control of rooftop or neighborhood solar power with
battery electric storage systems (BESS). Here we propose that the multiple
neighboring customers would interconnect to form a community DC grid while
still being connected to the main utility grid. The proposed infrastructure
would (i) increase the resilience of the customers in case the utility grid
becomes unavailable, (ii) reduce AC/DC conversion losses since a majority of
the DER generation is in DC, and (iii) with the help of BESS, the customers
will have a lesser impact on the utility grid in terms of California 'duck
curve.' The exchange of resources and further utilization of economies of scale
would significantly reduce the cost of this new infrastructure. Customers will
be able to fall back on the utility AC grid in case of a cyber-attack on the
community DC grid, improving cyber-security further. The proposed P2P
transactive energy scheme is based on cooperation among the homeowners, using
additional metering nodes to allow the sale or purchase of energy among
residents. While it is expected that the scope will be limited to customers
within a neighborhood, multiple neighborhoods can still interact via a utility
AC grid. While it is likely that the P2P controller carrying out optimal
control would work seamlessly, customers' interactions will be based on a
zero-trust approach. As a part of this approach, multifactor authentication,
role-based access control, etc., would be utilized, significantly improving
overall cybersecurity. We examine these three strategies as case studies: (i)
single home with solar power, (ii) single home with Solar power and BESS, and
(iii) two or more homes with solar power and community energy storage to
facilitate the policymakers making the recommendation.
