Building-related renewable electricity production with storage and energy-efficient buildings : Exploring barriers, drivers and quality assurance

Abstract: There is a need to reduce unsustainable use of fossil fuels. Increased usage of renewable energy by combined use of photovoltaic solar panels (PV) with battery storage is one way. Another way is to increase awareness of energy usage and reduce the energy performance gap by building energy-efficient buildings. Buildings have a long lifetime and high energy usage will have an impact for a long time.Barriers, drivers and non-energy benefits (NEBs) for investments in battery storage in photovoltaic systems (PV) in the context of farmers in Sweden with PV systems was investigated by a questionnaire study. The questionnaire was sent to farmers in Sweden who already have photovoltaics installed and about 100 persons answered, a response rate of 59%.Among the drivers for investments in battery storage in PV systems in agriculture it was found that the highest-ranked driver, i.e., to use a larger part of the electricity produced oneself, turns out to be the highest priority for grid owners seeking to reduce the need for extensive investments in the grid. The primary NEBs found were the possibility to become more independent of grid electricity.A method for the building process, called ByggaE, which aims to reduce the energy performance gap, has been developed and described. The method is based on two main processes with activities. Documents that support the activities can be found and stored in the energy documentation, a digital map structure. The two main processes are:The client’s activity to formulate requirements and ways to verify these requirements.The main process for other actors is to identify, handle and follow up risks or critical parts.An overall relation between the energy efficiency gap and the energy performance gap has been identified. Realistic assumptions and follow-up related to the assumptions are found to be important to reduce both the energy efficiency gap and the energy performance gap.