Laying the foundations for smart energy management

AS THE world is moving towards sustainability and energy independence, so too is commercial building design changing to incorporate these values. More frequently, businesses are striving to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status for their buildings as part of a longer-term strategy to reach net zero. In parallel, commercial buildings are also becoming smarter, and energy consumption is increasing. This has opened the way towards managing energy in a more efficient manner.

There are many other areas in which building design can decrease the energy requirements of a building, from energy-efficient lighting, passive lighting, water conservation, and more. Yet, no matter how much a commercial building is able to reduce its energy requirements, it is nearly impossible to completely eliminate energy demand. However, the building can become its own energy generator.

Harnessing solar energy

One of the most promising aspects of solar energy, versus other types of renewable energy, is that it is designed to be a distributed power source. For commercial buildings with large rooftops, such as manufacturing facilities, adding a photovoltaic (PV) solar system can be an excellent way to produce the amount of energy that is consumed on-site.

Adding solar energy to a building’s energy mix is a crucial aspect in making a building more energy independent; however, it is only the first step. The next step is improving the management of that energy in order to increase self-consumption. This is because energy usage does not always align with the energy generation of a PV system. As such, there are two ways that the energy can be managed to overcome this inconsistency. The first technique is energy storage, and the second is consumption shifting.

The importance of smart energy management

Energy storage is an essential part of smart energy management as it stores energy when it is produced for consumption at a later time. This is instead of either limiting energy production or feeding it into the grid. Today, the latest PV plus storage systems are able to manage battery charge and discharge patterns to meet consumption needs and reduce the amount of power purchased from the grid.

Shifting energy consumption is another form of energy management that can also help significantly increase self-consumption. This technique combines the technology of smart buildings with solar energy. By merging these two technologies, smart energy management solutions can automatically use a PV system’s excess power to increase solar energy usage, help lower electricity bills, increase energy independence, and provide greater convenience.

For example, devices and appliances, such as immersion heaters, fleets of EV chargers, lighting, and fans, can be controlled by smart energy management solutions that include AC switches with a meter and plug-in sockets with a meter, and load controllers. With the immersion heater, excess PV energy can be directed towards water heating, which is a low-cost form of energy storage. While the other devices allow appliances, such as fans, thermostats, and lighting, to be remotely controlled and utilised during high PV production for increased self-consumption.

Aligning energy use with solar generation

Consumption shifting can also be used to offset loads within a building. This was an important goal for precast concrete company, Litecast, when it installed a 350kW SolarEdge DC-optimised PV rooftop system at its production facility in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The PV system was forecast to produce 284MW of clean, renewable electricity each year - more than enough, in linear terms, to power both the building and its energy-intensive production machinery.

However, with no battery in place, any unused energy would have to be sent to the grid. To overcome this challenge, Litecast decided to integrate information from the SolarEdge monitoring system with a weather station to identify times of peak energy generation. This would enable it to move production schedules to coincide with these times, thereby ensuring it was able to use as much of the PV energy as possible.

Seamless integration of smart energy management systems

In addition to increasing energy independence, smart energy management allows for a simple user experience when combined into one integrated energy management and monitoring platform. This enables a more streamlined smart energy and building management process to reduce operation and maintenance costs.

As this technology advances, we will continue to see more opportunities to further integrate it into making commercial buildings more energy efficient. For example, weather and irradiance forecasting integrated into energy management systems can help ensure more efficient planning of building heating, or personalized profiles and thermostat controls that can help increase comfort without additional resources. Combining these types of technology with architectural designs can help our commercial buildings exist in better harmony within their surroundings and environment.

Jason Kirrage is senior technical marketing manager at SolarEdge

For more information:

www.solaredge.com

Tel: +44 8000 281183