Energy flexibility - this should make it possible in future to directly utilise predictable, but not time-influenceable amounts of energy from renewable energy sources (sun, wind) and to better combine the interests of players in energy supply, grid and building operation, property development, users and ultimately society, which are still diametrically opposed today. The aim is to relieve the burden on energy grids and reduce the need for additional storage facilities. From today's perspective, it is not the energy shortage but the lack of storage capacity that will be the main issue when switching to renewable forms of energy.
An important role in this energy flexibilisation will be played by buildings and neighbourhoods whose design, equipment and use offer a good opportunity to adapt consumption to volatile production and thus improve the utilisation of renewable energy sources. As users are known to react very sensitively to restrictions in comfort, it seems essential to better research the acceptance of energy-flexible offers in everyday life, as the realisation of monetary advantages through energy flexibility for users and operators is only one factor in the change in use, which is now being consistently researched.
The current task is to quantify and weigh up the multidimensional additional benefits (and disadvantages) that arise for the individual stakeholders through the flexibilisation of energy services.
The aim of the project is to improve the planning basis for energy-flexible existing and new buildings in three specific areas:
1. the further development of existing models of thermal user comfort for dynamic situations,
2. the quantification of future grid serviceability by creating a quarter-hourly "CO2 signal" or "RE peak-shaving signal" of the Austrian electricity grid and
3. the holistic testing of the comfort and CO2 model on three exemplary plus-energy neighbourhoods with regard to these evaluation dimensions, taking into account the life cycle assessment as well as the investment and life cycle costs.
The three results of the project are
1. an experimentally tested dynamic user comfort model that allows conclusions to be drawn about the acceptance of thermal energy flexibility measures,
2. quarter-hourly resolved "CO2 signals" or "RE peak-shaving signals" of the Austrian electricity grid according to various renewable energy scenarios 2030 - 2050,
3. the holistic energy flexibility assessment (incl. Erg 1 and 2) based on three potential plus-energy districts, as well as heuristic methods for their optimisation.
