A new dynamic solution by E.ON is set to revolutionize European home developments by dynamically managing energy import and export and ensuring local network capacities are not exceeded. The “dynamic solution” developed by E.ON Group Innovation is a live, locally controlled, smart management system which balances electricity supply and demand on local networks using steering technology.
The system maximizes the collective self-consumption of on-site renewable generation – for example, rooftop solar panels – to ensure unused energy generated for homes can be used elsewhere on housing developments, reducing demand for power from the national grid.
Zero-carbon standard
According to research conducted by E.ON, the United Kingdom (UK) will struggle to build the new homes it needs to a zero-carbon standard without hundreds of billions of pounds of investment in local energy networks – or, a smarter way of sharing sustainable energy across developments.
With the UK government’s ambition to create 300,000 new homes a year into the mid-2020s, developments are expected to require costly and time-consuming grid reinforcement to ensure low-carbon technologies such as solar panels, heat pumps, and electric vehicle chargers can function.
E.ON´s dynamic solution
E.ON´s dynamic solution was developed together in consultation with housing developers
With this in mind, E.ON´s dynamic solution was developed together in consultation with housing developers and distribution network operators. In a pilot project with Cala Homes, a major UK home builder, 77 new homes meeting new sustainable heating regulations are being built at Maidenhill, near Glasgow in East Renfrewshire.
The project would otherwise have required £5.5 million of grid upgrades, equivalent to almost £7,000 (€8,000) in additional costs per home across the entire development – and it will allow home owners to play an active part in a zero-carbon future.
Mark Ritzmann, Managing Director of E.ON Group Innovation, said: “Our project launch in the UK is the first step and there is huge economic potential for scaling. It is estimated that E.ON´s dynamic solution will be required by a majority of the 2100 Distribution System Operators across Europe, with the biggest demand anticipated in eastern regions.”
Increasing renewable energy generation
E.ON Group Innovation plans to implement the technology in other markets such as Poland and Hungary, where increasing renewable energy generation urgently requires increased network functionality.
In Hungary, managing network capacities is a clear obstacle to achieving wind power development and ambitious photovoltaic (PV) integration targets by 2030. The solution can provide additional flexibility to balance beyond current and future limits as well as support the integration of new renewable solutions like rooftop PV systems.
Future-proofed network
New homes can lead the way in decarbonizing heating, transport, and wider energy use
Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer for Energy Infrastructure Services at E.ON said: “New homes can lead the way in decarbonizing heating, transport, and wider energy use, but we have to make sure networks are future-proofed so customers can get maximum advantage – whether that’s being able to share the energy they generate locally, exporting it to the grid, or just having the most sustainable home they can in a more affordable way.”
“The UK will require hundreds of thousands of new low carbon homes to be built in the coming decades, connected to a smart energy network.”
“Our solution will enable homes to be built to the highest sustainability standards - with heat pumps, solar panels, and EV chargers - and connected to the grid where otherwise there could be insufficient network capacity. This collaboration with Cala Homes is a step towards ensuring that new communities across the UK realize their low carbon energy potential.”
More sustainable communities
Stephen Kelso, Group Product Design Manager for Cala Homes, said: “Building more sustainable communities is a huge task for the housebuilding sector and a major focus for Cala. New, innovative technology is vital to this, but it’s not a case of just switching this on. The right infrastructure needs to be in place to support it.”
“Enabling technology like this opens up a world of low carbon elements that we can install in homes and neighborhoods to help work towards our net zero aspirations.”
“Our homeowners and their communities will see the benefits too, with more efficient and sustainable homes meaning energy and money saved. We are excited to see what impact this revolutionary technology might have on the sector as a whole, as we work towards a greener future.”
