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ENERGIX-Stort program energi

COFACTOR - Coincidence factors and peak load of building in the Norwegian low carbon society

Alternative title: COFACTOR - Samtidighet og topplast for bygg i det norske lavutslippssamfunnet

Awarded: NOK 13.7 mill.

The COFACTOR project will provide knowledge to improve both grid planning and design of buildings. The research project "Coincidence factors and peak load of building in the Norwegian low carbon society ? COFACTOR" lasts from 2021 to 2025 and is financed by the ENERGI-X at the Norwegian Research Council as well as industrial partners. In COFACTOR, building owners and utilities cooperates with SINTEF and NTNU to fill the knowledge gap on energy use behind the meter in Norwegian buildings. The aim is to provide new and updated coincidence factors and standard load profiles for different building categories, as well as to suggest a methodology for estimating the peak load of buildings. The latter to be used for designing buildings to be well integrated in the future low carbon society, as well as for the Energy Labelling of Buildings. Electrification of all end-use sectors is identified as key in the transition to a sustainable low carbon society. In Norway, the building sector accounts for 57% of the electricity use and is mainly used for heating purposes which is mostly concentrated in winter and largely responsible for the peak load during the coldest days in a year. The main question is: how to limit the peak load's growth with increased electrification? To answer this question, more knowledge is needed on the load characteristics of buildings including electric vehicles, heat pumps and local solar production. As these technologies are connected behind the meter in buildings, thus affecting the buildings' electricity load profiles. To achieve the goal, COFACTOR will start from the basics, acquiring and analysing energy measurements made available by several partners, and data from sub-sensors installed by the project. Partners: Statsbygg, Tensio, Elvia, Enova SF, Energi Norge and Nelfo. Reference group: NEK, NOVAP, Standard Norge and Erichsen&Horgen. Data providers: Drammen Eiendom, Akershus Energi Varme AS, Thon Eiendom, FutureHome and Statnett (TSO).

Large grid investments are planned in the years to come to avoid bottlenecks that are expected to occur only a few hours each year, and the end-users will pay the cost through their electricity bill. The main question is: how to limit the peak load's growth with increased electrification, and how can we predict the load of buildings to assure a secure, but sufficient grid? Due to the peak power challenges Norway is facing, Enova has proposed to include a peak power element in the energy label of buildings. Parallel to this, Standards Norway is currently establishing a new standard, NS3032, which will provide a methodology for calculating the peak load for buildings. COFACTOR will provide new knowledge on standard load profiles for typical Norwegian buildings and establish a methodology for calculating their peak load considering coincidence factors of different energy uses, and between buildings. The project will collect a unique data set of detailed energy measurements for approximately 300 buildings, that will be disaggregated using new methods for data driven disaggregation of loads.The methodologies to be developed are both statistical, as well as building simulation methods that will account for the impact of new technologies such as PV, EVs and different heat pumps. The combination of these methodologies has not been seen in previous research. Rather than using simulated data, the novelty of this work is the extensive use of measured data of buildings, to evaluate the impact of the new technologies as well as improved building envelopes on building's load profiles. The project is hosted by SINTEF Community and will last for 4 years, with the following project partners: SINTEF Energy, NTNU, Nelfo, Elvia, Statsbygg, Tensio, Enova and Energi Norge. The project will cooperate with FutureHome, Risvollan, OlavThon Gruppen, Akershus Energi Varme, Statnett, Erichsen&Horgen AS, Standard Norge, NEK, NOVAP, NVE, Malnes&Endresen, Fraunhofer ISE.

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ENERGIX-Stort program energi