Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings
Effectively decarbonising the built environment requires actively engaged buildings
Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings are designed to use electricity in a smart, efficient way, by shifting energy usage to periods of cheaper, greener energy.
These responsive assets make efficient use of Australia’s abundant renewable energy resources and help stabilise our shared electricity grid – and GEBs offer more perks than just sustainability.
There’s potential for significant cost and carbon savings, simply by creating buildings that respond in real-time to demand on the grid.
Put simply: changing how and when you use energy can save money.
This is called ‘load shifting’.
“By incorporating grid-interactive strategies into building design, operation, and management, we can create a sustainable and resilient future for the built environment, ensuring a smooth transition to zero-carbon buildings.”
Davina Rooney – CEO, Green Building Council of Australia
What is load shifting?
Load shifting is the practice of adjusting the timing of energy consumption from one period to another – typically from a period of high demand to low demand.
This is done to lower energy prices, reduce real time emission intensity of energy demand and improve grid stability.
Low price periods generally coincide with periods of high renewable generation; the electricity generated is cheap and abundant, especially during the summer months as rooftop solar floods the grid with energy.
High price periods often occur when there is less renewable energy in the grid, meaning energy used during these periods is more likely to be generated by carbon-intensive fossil fuels.
For these reasons, load shifting is the key to improving cost and carbon efficiency – and it’s as simple as adjusting how and when you use energy.
How does load shaping work?
Load shaping in commercial buildings typically involves flexing the timing of HVAC loads, to align with low or negative prices in the wholesale electricity market.
It can also involve using batteries and charging electric vehicles to soak up low cost renewable energy when available. This energy can be reserved for use during peak periods, when wholesale prices typically spike due to the grid being under demand strain.
To support active energy management in buildings, Flow Power works with sustainability managers, building engineers and procurement managers to align company goals, using data with software and hardware integrations to support holistic energy management solutions.
Why is load shifting important for commercial buildings?
Energy efficient building
In an energy efficient building, the demand curve is reduced and flattened, helping reduce energy consumption and demand charges.
Energy efficient building + solar PV
Adding solar to an energy efficient building offsets significant loads and generation often coincides with utility peak loads. This can help reduce energy consumption and demand charges but can cause steep ramping of loads and utility issues.
Grid-interactive building with energy efficiency, solar PV + load flexibility
Shifting building loads to match renewable generation helps flatten the load. This optimises energy consumption and offers demand charge savings, while also supporting the stability of the grid. Demand response capability during grid peak scenarios can also provide additional revenue.
Reducing demand strain with load shifting
Large commercial buildings often exert a significant strain on the grid – especially when heating or cooling is required during periods of high demand. Representing around 30% of electricity demand, commercial buildings have the single biggest influence on the energy market.
By shifting when they operate electrical equipment or HVAC systems, commercial buildings can draw large amounts of power during low demand periods and pre-cool or heat before demand peaks, allowing them to effectively act as a battery-like storage system.
Load shifting helps balance the grid, reduce peak demand, lower operational costs and support the use of renewable energy resources. This provides cost and energy efficiency benefits for the buildings themselves and contributes to a more sustainable and resilient energy system.
The future is grid-interactive: Flow Power’s collaboration with Buildings Alive
Buildings Alive believes the future is grid-interactive. Our collaboration aims to accelerate the renewable transition by delivering new research and smart energy solutions to the market
Buildings Alive’s technology platform helps building owners and operators achieve efficiency and decarbonisation goals, by making real time carbon emissions visible, highlighting opportunities and helping them optimise control systems, reducing costs and real time emissions.
Together, we deliver the price incentives and control systems, to make true zero emission outcomes possible, in a customer-first transition of the energy market.
FAQs
Got a question for our team? Get in touch.
While it may seem counterintuitive, buildings can still operate in more carbon efficient ways simply by changing time of use. This means that even older, more inefficient systems can provide cost and carbon efficiency benefits to the building.
Industry standards appear likely to evolve, meaning that building owners who can reduce their real time emissions from electricity consumption, have the potential to improve their energy rating. This work is being driven through the Green Building Council and could make its way to NABERS ratings over time.
Occupant comfort is protected – building management systems are controlled to ensure comfort bands are not exceeded, while still taking advantage of energy price fluctuations.
Yes – the best way to realise the value from a grid–interactive building is to purchase energy from a dedicated renewable energy source, closely matched to your demand profile. This will help you achieve the lowest cost outcome, while also reducing your real time emissions.
No, batteries are not essential, but can be installed in your building, or coupled with renewable energy generation via a long term PPA, to help close the gap between your load profile and renewables.
HVAC systems are typically the largest user of energy in a building and should be your focus. However, hot water systems or even lighting systems can be aligned to take advantage of wholesale energy prices and emissions.
Not necessarily – the primary goal of a grid–interactive building is to shift the timing of energy demand to periods of the day where prices are low. Reducing the total amount of energy demand is not essential for a building to be grid–interactive.
Commit to combatting climate change and help accelerate Australia’s renewable transition, by supporting the development of Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings.
It’s our collective responsibility to minimise our impact, as we build a more sustainable future.
To learn more about Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings, or to see how this could work for your building, contact one of our energy specialists now.