Building Efficiency and Transformative Holistic Energy Management & Integration System

Buildings consume more that 40% of energy in the EU and around for 1/3 of EU GHG emissions, the majority of which (~85%) were constructed before 2000 and 75% of which have poor energy performance. Towards this the EU has set ambitious targets in emission reaching reductions of at least 60% in the building sector by 2030 - compared to 2015 - and zero-emission and fully decarbonised building stock by 2050. On the other hand, the recent shift to electrification of heating/cooling and transportation sector, a cross sectorial approach and decentralised RES towards more reduction of GHG, is challenging the operation of the energy networks. Buidling can assume a critical role in both the decarbonisation of the energy system and its reliable and resilient operation. As buildings are physically connected to the electric power grid, it is natural to understand their coupling and develop a framework for Buildings-to-Grid (BtG) integration. The installation of smart meters in buildings and across the power grids enables the BtG integration, which can transform passive buildings into active dispatchable demand resources: 1) Buildings can enjoy significant energy savings; 2) the grid’s resources are more efficiently utilized, as peak demand is curbed; 3) the grid can become more stable with fewer frequency excursions; 4) the need for bulk generation and transmission investments is deferred; and 5) with a BtG integration platform in place, distributed energy resources at the buildings’ premises, such as photovoltaic units and electric vehicles, can be more efficiently integrated with the power grid, turning into significant assets.