Energy Flexible Buildings Towards Resilient Low Carbon Energy Systems

Overview

The energy flexibility of a building is its ability to manage its demand and supply according to local climatic conditions, occupant and operator needs and energy network requirements. 
The completed EBC Project, ‘Annex 67: Energy Flexible Buildings’ revealed areas where further work is needed to ensure that energy flexibility from buildings will actually be an asset for future energy networks. The purpose of this project is investigate these research areas that include: 

• scaling from single buildings to clusters of buildings (aggregation);
• energy flexibility and resilience in multi-carrier energy systems (electricity, district heating / cooling and gases);
• acceptance / engagement of the stakeholders; and
• development of business models.

The project objectives are to:

•  investigation of the aggregated potential of energy flexibility services from buildings and clusters of buildings located in different multi-carrier energy systems
•  demonstration of energy flexibility in clusters of buildings through simulations, experiments and field studies
•  mapping the barriers, motivations and acceptance of stakeholders associated with the introduction of energy flexibility measures
•  investigation and development of business models for energy flexibility services to energy networks
•  recommendations to policy makers and government entities involved in the shaping of future energy systems

The planned deliverables from this project are:

• a common methodology for characterization of energy flexibility,
• services offered to (multi-carrier) energy networks,
• stakeholder viewpoints,
• a collection of case studies,
• business models, and
• recommendations for policy makers and government entities involved in the shaping of future energy systems.