Grid-interactive buildings are the next evolution in managing the grid in a high-demand world

Energy-efficient buildings have been a buzzword in the Venn diagram between energy professionals and developers/architects. We need to not only build efficiently, but buildings need to operate efficiently and be built in ways that allow them to reduce their energy consumption. In this realm, we think of weather-proofing, perhaps through solar panels on the roof, and including a smart meter to reduce energy consumption during certain hours. 

A new buzzword has emerged in this Venn diagram in recent years. More than efficient buildings, we are now talking about efficient grid-interactive buildings, EGIBs for short. EGIBs are not only built to consume less energy, but they are built to produce energy and work to react in real-time to grid conditions.

EGIBs can be seen as the ultimate, ideal buildings for our modern energy reality, equipped with all the bells and whistles people in the industry talk about. Sure, EGIBs have solar power and smart meters, but they are also equipped with EV plug-ins, on-site battery storage, automatic window shading, HVAC control zones and smart thermostats. It's digital tools allow it to connect and react to grid conditions, tailoring its energy use and building operation to the cycle of peak demand hours. This ability to interact makes the buildings more than just efficient, but interactive. 

"By actively engaging with the electricity grid, EGIBs offer numerous benefits to the environment, grid and consumers, making them a crucial component of the transition towards a sustainable and resilient energy future," the International Energy Agency wrote in a recent report that examined how EGIBs could play a critical role in the development of member nations of ASEAN, or the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations (includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). "By dynamically adjusting their energy consumption and generation in response to grid signals, EGIBs help improve the stability of the electricity supply. This flexibility is particularly valuable in balancing the grid during peak demand periods and can significantly reduce grid congestion, mitigating the risk of blackouts or voltage fluctuations." 

Member states of the ASEAN have seen their populations and electricity demand more than double over the last two-and-a-half decades; however, the rate of energy efficiency improvement has slowed down drastically, increasing 0.9% between 2015 and 2020, and by 0.5% in 2021. Meanwhile, scientists have shown that in order for the world to reach its ambitious carbon emissions goals, energy efficiency needs to be increasing by 4% each year by 2030. Building operations account for 1/3rd of the global energy consumption and 27% of global emissions. In ASEAN member states, energy demand is expected to skyrocket as the population grows and urbanization makes amenities such as air conditioning more widespread. 

Yet, according to the IEA report, ASEAN member states have a long way to go. 

"Important enablers to enhance building-to-grid interactivity, such as automated demand response programs, aggregation of distributed energy resources and dynamic electricity tariffs are typically not present in most of ASEAN beyond some pilot projects," the report reads. However, IEA calls for a greater look into EGIBs, to keep ASEAN member states from locking in their growth with fossil fuels. With such high stakes in the global community, it might serve other, wealthier, and more influential nations to push and invest in EGIBs in countries such as those in the ASEAN. 

Have you heard of EGIBs? Have you seen any developed or deployed? Please let me know in the comments!