Passive houses arrived at the end of the 1980s, developed by two European professors from the Institute of Housing and Environment. Their objective was to take advantage of natural resources and to use meteorological sensors, thermal insulation and the natural renewal of air to maximize energy savings, with some of the technology provided by ABB.
This is the era for smart buildings to truly impact the way we all live for the better. With electricity and fuel costs at an all-time high, there’s an urgent need for homes to manage energy usage and control costs to address the current energy trilemma- the need to balance energy reliability, affordability, and the sustainability of our planet.
The challenge for designers, developers, architects, and solutions providers is to create more efficient energy solutions in a fast-growing residential market that reduce running costs while also enhancing people’s lives.
Achieving this is no longer tomorrow’s ambition – it’s something our customers are already doing, thanks to the power of innovation. Through a combination of efficiency measures, renewable energy sources, cutting-edge design and technology, it’s possible to reduce home energy use by around 40 percent1.
The key is smart technology
Smart technology tends to obey the rules set by the system installer or the users themselves, to find ways to minimize energy use according to a person’s lifestyle while also maximizing comfort. Smart phones and apps enable people to make adjustments easily and customize according to their needs.
Smart home technology keeps track of exactly how much energy each appliance in the home uses and sets timers according to weather and demand patterns to take advantage of periods of low demand. This means that heating or cooling can be optimized, and appliances can be set to operate in the early hours when electricity is at its cheapest. The technology helps significantly reduce fuel consumption for heating and cooling while the use of LEDs can reduce lighting costs to negligible amounts.
Energy-saving alone only goes so far, however. Correct acclimatization and insulation of homes can enhance energy savings by up to 60 and 80 percent depending on geographical location. The use of photovoltaic panels and the storing and processing of by-products can enhance the cost-savings even further.
Our customer stories are great examples of how we are delivering significant benefits to customers.
To set the scene
The first homes were built in Zaragoza, Spain, and realized energy savings of 80 percent on air conditioning, 50 percent on lighting and 90 percent on electricity using photovoltaic panels.
Pablo Pellitero, electrical engineer, KNX generator and the owner of Passive Homes in Zaragoza, explained that one of the motivations for the project was the legislation that made it possible for the surplus electricity produced by the photovoltaic panels to be sold to the electricity grid, offsetting even more of the cost.
Urdorf Residential Complex
Meanwhile in Switzerland, a residential complex of 39 apartments in Urdorf is taking energy saving to the next level. Using energy capturing and innovative building technologies, including the ABB-free@home® system, each home is provided with year-round energy supply at little or no additional cost. This is achieved by generating, storing, and saving energy through a building automation solution and energy management systems. Tenants are provided with an annual budget of 2000 kilowatt hours which, if not exceeded, is included in the rent.
Energy capture goes even further, however, with the surplus electricity, which is produced from solar panels over the summer months, being fed into the grid. Even the lifts are efficiently powered.
Novi Dorćol
In Serbia, investors from Novi Dorćol have recently used a total of 4,300 smart home devices in a building which houses 225 apartments, covering a surface area of 16,800 square metres for heightened energy efficiency. To manage energy consumption at the most economic level, a total of 950 scenarios and six meteorological situations were created. The home management systems even warn users of adverse weather or hazardous situations.
The future looks smart
Smart home technology is evolving at speed2 and ABB is at the forefront of its design and innovation. At present, the ABB-free@home system leads the field and is completely open to all manufacturers - meaning appliances by different manufacturers can be used in homes and they will successfully communicate among themselves. This gives us great opportunity to innovate in smart home solutions as a global technology player and are already doing so from global organizations such as Samsung to starts ups like Mavenoid.
We are constantly developing new solutions for our customers to address their energy needs. For example, our 2023 product launches include a new, integrated residential energy management solution. We previewed this latest innovation at Light + Building in 2022, which is expected to be available in the second half of 2023 Featuring a single application which connects electric vehicle charging, smart home technology and an energy consumption display, people can better control energy consumption and bills while also supporting power continuity, energy load management and grid stability.
As we face continued uncertainty around supply and cost, energy capture and innovative technology are vital to the global building industry’s efforts to reduce consumption. Not only does this lower cost for the consumer, but it also benefits the planet. At ABB, we’re committed to innovating and implementing solutions to meet both challenges, even in the most difficult of times like these.
1 https://www.statista.com/
2 https://www.statista.com/topics/2430/smart-homes/#topicOverview
