The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers- ASHRAE has gone on to release a new guide that focuses on the crucial role of grid interactivity within the decarbonization process. The guide known as Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization: Design and Operation Resource happens to be the second one in a series of guides that happen to be developed by the ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization- TFBD and offers information pertaining to maximizing carbon reduction by way of buildings interaction with the electric power grid.
According to the chair of ASHRAE TFBD, Kent Peterson, P.E., grid-interactive systems actively go on to engage with the energy grid and also utilize smart technology, renewable sources of energy, as well as energy storage systems to help optimize energy consumption as well as generation. This enables them to respond in real-time to the grid signals, thereby lessening overall demand and also GHG emissions. It happens to be an emerging focus in case of building professionals, and ASHRAE is exhilarated to offer new guidance and also collectively work for a more sustainable, energy-efficient, as well as resilient built environment.
Decarbonizing the electric grid goes on to necessitate a basic transition towards a dynamic and two-way relationship between buildings as well as the grid. This approach helps buildings respond in a more flexible way to grid conditions, including the time-varying rates of carbon emissions. In the years that have gone by, the importance of this 2-way communication has grown considerably, pushed by renewable energy sources, concerns related to grid reliability, and the impact that extreme weather conditions have had. These elements have indeed prompted the utilities, grid operators, and the building community to reassess the building role of the building in supporting grid reliability as well as decarbonization by way of reshaping their patterns of energy consumption.
The guide goes on to offer the best practices, operational guidelines, and design considerations to target the three main value streams of grid integration:
- Reduced Carbon Emissions: Gauge how to make important contributions to decrease carbon emissions by way of smart building grid integrations.
- Savings in cost: explore strategies to optimize the usage of energy and also save on operational costs.
- Resiliency: Elevate your building’s capacity to withstand as well as adapt to the transforming grid conditions, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
While the guide primarily goes on to focus on commercial as well as multifamily buildings, it also goes on to include the relevant elements of residential and industrial verticals. Apart from design guidance, the resource also goes on to provide functional recommendations for new as well as existing buildings and empower them to optimize the demand flexibility that’s available.
The guide happens to be available at the ASHRAE Bookstore, and more related resources happen to be available at the TFBD webpage.
