Dirk Saelens, KULeuven

Report: Building-grid interaction: assessment framework

This report presents a framework to assess the impacts of buildings on the low-voltage electricity grid. The interaction of buildings and the grid becomes a crucial aspect of the energy transition as more low-carbon technologies are adopted in buildings that require or produce large amounts of electricity. Technologies such as heat pumps and rooftop photovoltaic systems are among those expected to be widely adopted in Belgium in the near future. It is therefore important to assess what their impacts will be on the electricity grid, what the latter depend on, and how building design can contribute to limit them.

NEPBC Report - Building grid interaction Assessment Framework, KULeuven.pdf

Report: Towards a grid friendliness assessment for buildings

Low-carbon technologies, such as heat pumps and photovoltaic solar panels, could have important impacts on the low-voltage electricity distribution grid. To avoid that high penetration of these technologies is hindered by distribution grid constraints, and also to manage potential grid reinforcements efficiently, it is important to assess the interaction of buildings with the electricity grid.

Taking a building perspective on this issue, a grid friendliness assessment of buildings is proposed. Such an assessment and rating of buildings could influence building owners and occupants, building designers, investors, technical system manufacturers and others to adopt practices that can benefit the integration of more low-carbon technologies while limiting the grid reinforcement costs.

This report investigates possibilities to develop such a grid friendliness assessment of buildings, by examining existing building energy-related performance rating approaches, reviewing possible available indicators, and employing a grid impact assessment framework to propose a method for deriving requirements for the indicators.

NEPBC Report - Towards a grid friendliness assessment for buildings, KULeuven.pdf