When we ponder over the concept of a solar array for your home, the most prominent image in our minds is that of solar panels and inverters soaking up sunlight like gleeful sponges. But have you ever considered the prospect of your buildings operating as thermal batteries, providing a significant boost in Australia’s energy security? I want to unpack a fascinating study today—labels buildings as batteries.
The report, developed by The Australia Institute (TAI) and Buildings Alive, highlights the potential annual savings of AUD 1.7 billion ($1.1 billion) by shifting merely 1/3rd of Australia’s commercial and institutional buildings’ electricity consumption to coincide with peak solar supply, typically mid-day. Think about it as readjusting the daily electricity demand. Why does that matter, you ask? Because it’s an elegant resolution to the prevailing ‘supply and demand problem’ in Australia’s electricity market.
As noted by Richard Denniss, TAI Executive Director, an abundance of cheap, clean, renewable energy is available every mid-day. Unfortunately, much of the electricity demand falls towards day’s end, relying heavily on coal and gas-generated power. By shifting a chunk of the electricity peak load from late afternoon to mid-day, we would not only make the best use of readily available clean power but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity substantially.
An in-depth example illustrates how a Sydney office tower effectively functioned as a battery with a capacity of at least 800 kWh in response to a forecasted high electricity demand on a remarkably hot summer day. By merely tweaking the internal temperature set point, the building managed to operate more energy-demanding functions earlier in the day, cutting down the demand by around 200 kW from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Projecting this logic on a larger scale is the real game-changer. If about 33% of the energy used by buildings during late afternoon in summer were redirected to mid-day, we could witness new peak capacity in the energy market near 12 GW. This load shift would cost nothing to the solar companies in Australia.
The story doesn’t end here, however. The researchers propose the initiation of a government program to endorse the demand side in the National Electricity Market that could result in load shifting in as much as 90% of Australia’s institutional grade office buildings by 2027. The researchers believe this program, requiring minor modifications in building management practices, could offer about 2.6 GW of flexible capacity by the end of 2026.
However, this transformation wouldn’t transpire magically. Modifying policy and regulation is necessary. Current efficiency rating systems fall behind, hindering the implementation of new technologies by failing to recognize the financial, emissions, and grid stabilizing potential of smart, grid-interactive buildings.
The worth of renewable energy sources such as solar panels for your home, or smart, grid-interactive buildings cannot be overstated. Harnessing the potential of these resources, we can curb high network costs, expensive electricity, and increasing carbon pollution.
For aspiring solar companies, this study offers a unique perspective on load-shifting and demand response. Whether it’s a solar company in Australia or the United States, the opportunity to offer smarter, greener, and economical energy solutions exists. It’s time to let our homes harvest the sun, functioning as batteries to deliver new peak capacity in the energy market.
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/08/buildings-can-offer-gigawatts-of-new-peak-capacity-as-batteries/
