Active Building as an Electricity Network Service Provider

A growing number of distributed generation units in power systems along with the characteristics of intermittent renewable resources have increased the` need for flexibility in electrical networks. Flexible energy resources can assist system operators to operate their networks more efficiently. Active buildings can provide services to distribution and transmission systems through their flexible energy resources such as storage-based resources and controllable appliances. To analyze the flexibility potential of active buildings, this chapter firstly categorizes flexible appliances/devices of the building in terms of their degree of flexibility. Moreover, different flexibility services and their technical characteristics are introduced. Based on technical considerations, the contribution of active buildings to the provision of these services is discussed as well. Finally, the chapter analyzes the role of active building’s energy management system in this process.