TALKING HEADS/ ROLF BIENERT


Harnessing the power of HVAC


Could modern HVAC appliances be used to store and supply energy to homes, providing the demand flexibility that the power grid needs? Rolf Bienert from the OpenADR Alliance looks at the potential to use HVAC technology to save energy and change how we store and consume it.


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uildings are a key contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, representing more than a third of energy-related emissions


in the EU, according to the European Environment Agency. These are the result of the use of fossil fuels in buildings, such as for heating, as well as the electricity consumed by devices like water heaters, ventilation systems and air conditioning units, also known as HVAC. Initiatives in the UK and across


Europe are pushing for a reduction in the amount of carbon from buildings. These include the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the EU’s main legislation aimed at promoting the improvement of the energy performance of buildings within the EU. Not forgetting the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, which has been in development since 2022 and brings together experts from across the UK built environment industry. It will be the first cross- industry standard that brings together net-zero carbon requirements for all major building types. Legislation and other initiatives


are leading the way, but are there other ways to minimise emissions and maximise energy efficiency in buildings? Heating, cooling and hot water


are responsible for high levels of energy consumption in both commercial buildings and in domestic environments. So, the transition to more energy-efficient systems like heat pumps could be key to success. The question is whether more energy- hungry devices like heaters and air conditioning systems could in fact become more sustainable energy resources in their own right.


Combined resources The OpenADR Alliance is a global industry alliance with many of our members involved in the HVAC sector, particularly with water heaters and heat pump systems, so this is being discussed more often. Similarly, among our community of members involved in electric


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vehicle (EV) charging, we are looking at the potential for EVs to become grid resources. We talk about the importance of demand-side response and energy flexibility for the end user, and EVs are low hanging fruit as a potential energy resource, especially at peak times when the grid is under pressure In a vehicle to grid (V2G) scenario,


the EV acts as a mobile energy unit that can be charged ready for use. It can also be discharged back into the home, building or even to the grid, offering the potential to become part of a bigger community resource with hundreds of EVs (and other distributed energy resources) working together to form a virtual power plant (VPP). EV batteries are quite large when


compared to other potential energy resources like solar, so they offer plenty of energy potential. When fully charged, they can support a home for several days.


The question is whether the same


could work with HVAC appliances. Electric water heaters, for example,


offer a way to store energy as hot water, so imagine the potential. An article published in an Australian journal last year suggested that a 300-litre tank can store as much energy as a second-generation Tesla Powerwall. This offers a cheaper way of storing large amounts of energy and provide the energy demand flexibility the grid needs. Pool pumps are another example


– filtering, cleaning and circulating water uses plenty of electricity. The US Department of Energy reports that pool pumps could be the second largest energy user in the home after air conditioning or a heat pump. By combining different HVAC


systems in our homes and buildings, there’s the potential to save energy and change the way we store and consume it. New advances in HVAC technology are also seeing greater integration with renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, helping us to further reduce our carbon footprint.


This offers a cheaper way of storing large amounts of energy and provide the energy demand flexibility the grid needs


Driving momentum We are already seeing V2G pilots and programmes being rolled out by car manufacturers in cooperation with electricity utilities. So why are we not seeing the same for HVAC as an energy resource not being tested more widely? For this to happen, the right industry standards must be in place so that utilities can communicate seamlessly with customers and building operators, and to enable pricing information and energy messaging to common appliance types. We see changes happening as the industry places greater focus on building management systems and interfaces that create value from appliances through improved communications. We are also seeing improved communications capabilities included in a range of appliances like water heaters, heat pumps and other HVAC products to monitor and learn more about energy usage. We expect these systems to migrate


The OpenADR Alliance was created to standardise, automate and simplify Demand Response and Distributed Energy Resources to enable utilities and aggregators to cost-effectively manage growing energy demand and decentralised energy production, and customers to control their energy future. OpenADR is an open, secure, and two-way information exchange model and smart grid standard.


toward EcoPort, the brand name for CTA-2045 certified products, that future-proofs and allows water heaters, heat pumps and other appliances to have market flexibility. Utilities can design and deliver demand response and distributed energy programmes that treat water heaters and other systems as a potential grid resource with benefits to both the utilities and to their customers. The utility drives demand flexibility, with peak load management or time-of-use programmes, while customers have greater choice in their energy use, together with the benefits of energy and costs savings. It is encouraging to see momentum


starting to build as more product manufacturers and utilities demand energy smart appliances and standards-based communications that drive energy flexibility. We look forward to supporting such initiatives.


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Rolf Bienert Managing & technical director of the OpenADR Alliance


EIBI | NOVEMBER � DECEMBER 2024


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