For too long, buildings have long been viewed by grid operators as demand centers and that’s it. But this is rapidly changing and the moment for finally scaling distributed energy solutions has arrived. Currently, power grids are being strained by increased demand on top of long deferred maintenance and upgrades in some areas, as well as some regulatory policies. Embracing buildings as part of the grid can help alleviate many of these issues, by optimizing on-site, renewable energy production, battery and thermal storage, and bidirectional vehicles, as well as more sophisticated demand response and integrated equipment and appliances. There’s new recognition of the potential in these areas with advocates promoting policies that will help incentivize utilities and unlock this approach for residential and commercial buildings. At scale, this approach could save significant cost in power system transmission and distribution upgrades and support future electricity affordability. The session will give practitioners, owners, advocates, and investors what they need to know about this coming transformation in the role buildings play. Expect a state of play focused on building scale technologies, new models for implementation, and how utilities and new policies could shape increased opportunities for buildings.
