SMART TECHNOLOGY
Although reducing energy use is important, the truly exciting prospects for managing building energy needs lie with incorporating renewable energy resources into the built environment. Several renewable technologies that are commercially available today can completely cover the consumption needs of buildings. Consisting primarily of photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine systems, these renewable technologies are, however, variable, intermittent energy producers. To achieve the overall objective of mastering and optimizing energy use while also becoming more independent of the electrical grid, these energy resources can be coupled with storage or other more stable electricity generation technologies, such as combined heat and power generation (CHP).
Photovoltaic (PV) is the leading renewable energy technology for buildings. PV energy production has several benefits: solar energy is unlimited and available worldwide; it does not emit greenhouse gases (GHG) or other pollutants during operation; PV panels are silent; and PV systems require little maintenance. To make the technology even more attractive, the cost of PV systems has significantly decreased in recent years and the technologies also have become more efficient.
Photovoltaics are a good fit for buildings where they can occupy the unused rooftop area. Alternatively, they can use the car parking space, where in addition to producing energy, they provide protection to cars and individuals from sun and rain. Another option for new PV installations is to integrate them into the building architecture in what has become known as building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
Wind turbines are another fast growing renewable energy technology. Despite their huge energy potential, not many wind turbines are found on car parks or on building roofs. And when they are, they typically are characterized by a small production capacity, usually not exceeding 10kW.
Because wind turbines are designed to be efficient in an environment characterized by uniform and relatively constant wind flow, they often are located on open plains, hills, close to the sea, or offshore, usually in a group of wind turbines forming a wind farm.
Renewable energy sources provide CO2-free electrical energy, but also have some drawbacks – most significantly the variability of energy production depending on weather conditions. Electrical energy storage systems enable storage of renewable energy from peak production periods and use of that energy when demand exceeds production. In addition, electrical storage systems enable multiple features and services including the optimization of energy billing; voltage and frequency support to the grid; and even the operation of the building’s electrical system, or part of it, in the case of power outages. This is a subject we will discuss further in a subsequent blog post.
