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Annex 67: Exploring the potential for buildings to be more flexible in their consumption of energy
The foreseen large deployment of renewable energy sources may seriously affect the stability of energy grids. It will therefore be necessary to control energy consumption to match instantaneous energy production.
Forming part of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme, the principle aim of Annex 67 is to fill the gap and develop an insight into the energy flexibility of different building types, and what they may be able to contribute to future energy systems.
As subtask leader of a working group consisting of leading academics and international partners from sixteen countries, our Annex 67 research explored the potential for buildings to be more flexible in their consumption of energy over a three-year period. The energy flexibility of a building is the ability to manage its energy demand and generation according to local climate conditions, user needs and grid requirements.
Research outcomes included the definition of the key principles related to energy flexible buildings, with the work informing the development of control strategies that allow buildings to operate in an energy flexible way. The work also led to a publication of a range of practical examples of energy flexible buildings, demonstrating what this means and how it can be implemented, along with the benefits and potential issues with its deployment. All of which is vital in assisting policymakers, businesses and government entities and aiding the design of future Smart Energy systems and buildings.
Work is now underway with a wider group of researchers to set up the new Annex 82: Energy flexible buildings towards resilient low carbon energy systems, expected to begin in 2021.
View all the Annex 67 project reports.
Dr James Parker is a Reader in the Leeds Sustainability Institute, part of the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing at Leeds Beckett University.
About Leeds Sustainability Institute - With research expertise developed over two decades, the work of Leeds Sustainability Institute explores areas including social policy, low carbon building, materials, green computing, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure.
Discover more about Leeds Sustainability Institute
Dr Jim Parker
Dr Parker specialises in building energy modelling and the urban environment. He manages externally funded research projects, collaborates with industrial partners and supports undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students.
