Where is the heating and cooling energy coming from?
Where is the heating and cooling energy coming from?
Energy Supply
When attempting to reduce the heating, cooling, and electricity consumption of a building, a key question is: Where is the heating and cooling energy coming from? If a connection to a low-carbon heating plant is available, then perhaps highly insulated walls and high-efficiency heat recovery are less critical, and resources could be more effectively spent on other improvements. In other words, one should consider not only the energy consumption at the meter but also the carbon intensity of the energy supply to achieve the best overall results for the project.
Neighborhoods around the world are aging and changing. Infrastructure upgrades, climate change goals, and cultural trends are just some of the factors creating a need for new energy supply concepts. We assist in developing these by generating hourly load profiles and demonstrating the implications – in terms of annual operational carbon emissions – of various active and passive energy conservation measures within specific contexts. Each project is different and requires tailored guidance toward an ad-hoc energy generation and distribution concept.
When discussing various design concepts, it is imperative to work with residents and building owners to develop a satisfactory solution for all stakeholders. Public relations, public participation, and the formation and maintenance of social networks are tasks just as important as – and conducted in parallel with – concept creation. Our main role in public engagement activities is to provide information in a form and manner that is accessible to all.
