Positive energy district planning, modelling and Software
Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) provide a novel approach at implementing sustainable system solutions that help achieve targets within the framework of local climate protection strategies. This approach bundles previous technological developments and combines them at the system level to accomplish a positive effect on the energy system.
When planning PEDs, the individual measure (installation of a PV system, heat pump, expansion of electromobility, thermal refurbishment, etc.) does not lead to the decisive improvement, but rather the combination of various measures.
Improving the energy balance of buildings or neighborhoods requires interdisciplinary approaches, as components from different energy sectors are used and interact with each other during operation (electricity, heat, mobility). Even for experts, the numerous interactions can be difficult to grasp and can quickly become confusing.
Comparing the incurred investment costs with the expected savings and subsidies creates additional complexity.
Project goals
The aim of the project is
- to create an assessment tool for PEDs that enables a simple compilation of the numerous different options and interactions and
- to present the main results and the most important performance indicators in a detailed but easily understandable way.
SOFTWARE TOOL DEVELOPMENT
The plan4.energy project developed a software tool that can support the planning process towards greater energy efficiency. Its main objective is to visualize complex interactions and realistically identify the relevant levers during the planning process. This enables non-expert stakeholders to evaluate different project variants in terms of their effectiveness, sustainability and financial viability.
FOCUS ACCORDING TO NEEDS
Depending on the focus of the project to be evaluated, the tool answers different questions. For example, the focus of a project can be on the best economic performance (lowest amortization time), on the highest possible CO2 savings or on the highest possible degree of self-sufficiency.
EASY ACCESS TO THE COMPLEX TOPIC
The comparatively low level access to the complex topic makes it possible to address a wide range of stakeholders. The target group includes mayors, urban planners, planning offices and project developers, architects, operators of business parks, building administrators and housing developers, etc.
The complexity lies in the interaction of numerous components. Tools currently on the market require users to have a high level of detailed knowledge and they therefore can only be used by a limited group of people with a high level of expertise. In addition, each analysis requires a considerable amount of time.
→ Plan4.energy solves these problems by combining a large database with pre-simulated data and an easy-to-navigate, appealing online front end. This means that the most important parameters of different variants to be compared can be recorded and compared within minutes.
Role of AIT
- Develop the simulation framework, modeling of components and buildings based on assumptions, parameters and relevant scenarios as defined with the partners.
- Define scenarios and perform a pre-simulation of a representative simulation-set based on the following technological technologies and relevant parameters: photovoltaics, electricity load profiles, batteries, hot water demand, mobility (depending on type of housing and office), heating and cooling load profiles, heating and cooling systems and automatic shading.
- Perform simulations from a scenario matrix of over 300,000 scenarios in order to simulate a large number of possible scenarios in advance; this means that the results can be retrieved very quickly from a database, which enables a so-called "rapid assessment" - a very quick evaluation of different expansion and implementation paths for plus-energy districts.
Project results
Plan4.energy introduces and provides an easily accessible means of facilitating the implementation of sustainable system solutions. Both the simulation framework and the user interface can be expanded to include additional technologies at any time. The path for further usability and development is mapped out.
Specifically, now Plan4.Energy can be used as a basis for future standardization activities in the planning of PEDs.
