Smart Zero-energy Buildings and Communities for Smart Grids

This book focuses on near-zero energy buildings (NZEBs), smart communities and microgrids. In this context, demand response (DR) is associated with significant environmental and economic benefits when looking at how electricity grids, communities and buildings can operate optimally. In DR, the consumer becomes a prosumer with an important active role in the exchange of energy on an hourly basis. DR is gradually gaining ground with respect to the reduction of peak loads, grid balancing and dealing with the volatility of renewable energy sources (RES). This transition calls for high environmental awareness and new tools or services that will improve the dynamic as well as secure multidirectional exchange of energy and data. Overall, DR is identified as an important field for technological and market innovations aligned with climate change mitigation policies and the transition to sustainable smart grids in the foreseeable future. Smart Buildings, Smart Communities and Demand Response provides an insight into various intrinsic aspects of DR potential, at the building and the community level.

SMART GRIDS AND MICROGRIDS Written and edited by a team of experts in the field, this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of smart grids and microgrids for engineers, scientists, students, and other professionals. The power supply is one of the most important issues of our time. In every country, all over the world, from refrigerators to coffee makers to heating and cooling, almost everyone in the world needs to have access to power. As the global demand rises, new methods of delivering power, such as smart grids and microgrids, have, out of necessity or choice, been developed and researched. In this book, modern and advanced concepts of both microgrid and smart grid technology are introduced. Beginning from the brief fundamental concepts of microgrids and its various constituents this team of experts discusses different architectures, control issues, communication challenges, measurement, stability, power quality and mitigation, protection, and power electronic aspects of the microgrid system. Through this book, tools and techniques needed to design both microgrids and smart grids are discussed. Recent and developing topics like smart meter impact, remote data monitoring, communication protocols, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, big data, IoT, and many others are covered. Furthermore, this new volume also covers simulation and stability analysis tools pertaining to microgrids and smart grids. Throughout the book, detailed examples of microgrid and smart grid design and development strategies are provided, based on different constraints and requirements. Case studies, numerical models, and design examples are also included. Whether for the veteran engineer or student, this is a must-have volume for any library. Audience: Engineers, scientists, industry professionals, students, and other lay people involved in the business of smart grids and microgrids

On a worldwide basis, the development of SmartGrids is a consistent answer to the problem of an efficient and sustainable delivery of electric energy through distribution grids. SmartGrids are a combination of information and communication technologies and new energy technologies. There are many different definitions of the concept of SmartGrids and thus it appears indispensable to gather the knowledge available from both industry and research laboratories in one book. Distributed generation is rightly receiving an increased amount of attention and will become an integral part of urban energy systems, providing consumers and energy providers with safe, affordable, clean, reliable, flexible and readily-accessible energy services. The aim of this book is to describe future electricity networks that will enable all energy services to become sustainable. The traditional design of network control systems with a centralized structure is not in-line with the paradigm of the unbundled electricity system and decentralized control; this is highlighted by looking at how future active networks will efficiently link small- and medium-scale power sources with consumer demands, allowing decisions to be made on how best to operate in real time. It also looks at the level of control required: power flow assessment, voltage control and protection require cost-competitive technologies and new communication systems with more sensors and actuators than presently used, certainly in relation to the distribution systems. To manage active networks, a vision of grid computing is created that assures universal access to computing resources. An intelligent grid infrastructure gives more flexibility concerning demand and supply, providing new instruments for optimal and cost-effective grid operation at the same time.

With special relation to smart grids, this book provides clear and comprehensive explanation of how Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques can be applied to solve problems in the power system. Its unique coverage bridges the gap between DSP, electrical power and energy engineering systems, showing many different techniques applied to typical and expected system conditions with practical power system examples. Surveying all recent advances on DSP for power systems, this book enables engineers and researchers to understand the current state of the art and to develop new tools. It presents: an overview on the power system and electric signals, with description of the basic concepts of DSP commonly found in power system problems the application of several signal processing tools to problems, looking at power signal estimation and decomposition, pattern recognition techniques, detection of the power system signal variations description of DSP in relation to measurements, power quality, monitoring, protection and control, and wide area monitoring a companion website with real signal data, several Matlab codes with examples, DSP scripts and samples of signals for further processing, understanding and analysis Practicing power systems engineers and utility engineers will find this book invaluable, as will researchers of electrical power and energy systems, postgraduate electrical engineering students, and staff at utility companies.

The Intuitive Guide to Energy Efficiency and Building Improvements Energy Audits and Improvements for Commercial Buildings provides a comprehensive guide to delivering deep and measurable energy savings and carbon emission reductions in buildings. Author Ian M. Shapiro has prepared, supervised, and reviewed over 1,000 energy audits in all types of commercial facilities, and led energy improvement projects for many more. In this book, he merges real-world experience with the latest standards and practices to help energy managers and energy auditors transform energy use in the buildings they serve, and indeed to transform their buildings. Set and reach energy reduction goals, carbon reduction goals, and sustainability goals Dramatically improve efficiency of heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, water and other building systems Include the building envelope as a major factor in energy use and improvements Use the latest tools for more thorough analysis and reporting, while avoiding common mistakes Get up to date on current improvements and best practices, including management of energy improvements, from single buildings to large building portfolios, as well as government and utility programs Photographs and drawings throughout illustrate essential procedures and improvement opportunities. For any professional interested in efficient commercial buildings large and small, Energy Audits and Improvements for Commercial Buildings provides an accessible, complete, improvement-focused reference.

Building energy design is currently going through a period of major changes. One key factor of this is the adoption of net-zero energy as a long term goal for new buildings in most developed countries. To achieve this goal a lot of research is needed to accumulate knowledge and to utilize it in practical applications. In this book, accomplished international experts present advanced modeling techniques as well as in-depth case studies in order to aid designers in optimally using simulation tools for net-zero energy building design. The strategies and technologies discussed in this book are, however, also applicable for the design of energy-plus buildings. This book was facilitated by International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Programs and the Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC) Programs through the joint SHC Task 40/EBC Annex 52: Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings R&D collaboration. After presenting the fundamental concepts, design strategies, and technologies required to achieve net-zero energy in buildings, the book discusses different design processes and tools to support the design of net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs). A substantial chapter reports on four diverse NZEBs that have been operating for at least two years. These case studies are extremely high quality because they all have high resolution measured data and the authors were intimately involved in all of them from conception to operating. By comparing the projections made using the respective design tools with the actual performance data, successful (and unsuccessful) design techniques and processes, design and simulation tools, and technologies are identified. Written by both academics and practitioners (building designers) and by North Americans as well as Europeans, this book provides a very broad perspective. It includes a detailed description of design processes and a list of appropriate tools for each design phase, plus methods for parametric analysis and mathematical optimization. It is a guideline for building designers that draws from both the profound theoretical background and the vast practical experience of the authors.