Smart grids are an important piece of the puzzle in allowing the optimal use of energy-generating and climate-smart homes in a sustainable society. Vattenfall is aiming for and currently working on several projects that focus on the development of smart electricity grids and energy solutions for households with regard to electricity monitoring and energy efficiency enhancement. This offers new opportunities over the long term for home-owners to be both electricity consumers and small-scale electricity producers, for instance by utilising solar cell technology. A family whose home is fitted with solar cells can transfer its surplus energy to Vattenfall when their own production exceeds their needs.
With smart technology and advisory services, Vattenfall will help the family to keep a watchful eye on their electricity consumption and reduce their energy use.
A principal feature of Vattenfall’s contribution to a sustainable society is that we generate and supply renewable energy. When the family’s house in the project does not produce enough energy on a rainy day, they get secure access to electricity from green sources such as windpower or hydropower.
Sustainable energy production, the development of energy systems and smart energy solutions are an absolute precondition for achieving a sustainable society. Electrification of the transport sector is one example. Another is the possibility of utilising the household’s own production and surplus of energy which in coordination with large-scale energy production opens the door to a more resource-efficient overall energy system.
It is also equally important to increase people’s awareness of their energy usage. Vattenfall’s new measurement technology is a tool for understanding which household appliances and activities use most energy. In combination with good energy advice this provides a sound basis for adopting optimal energy-savings measures.
When will the technology become available?
Services for measurement and visualisation of a household’s energy consumption are already available and are undergoing swift development. The technology that Vattenfall uses in its Energy Watch product is a relatively cost-effective solution. It will come onto the market in November 2010.
Today it is already possible to feed locally produced energy into the mains electricity grid and to get paid for it, but so far only for large producers. This technology is undergoing swift development and will in due course also be available to normal households.
In the project we use a new commercial solar cell product tailored for integration into the structure of the house, for instance as an alternative to façade cladding. This product is already available on the German market, for instance.
In order for electric cars to be able to run without any emissions they must have access to renewable fuel. Vattenfall produces renewable electricity generated from windpower and hydropower and supplies this electricity to customers throughout the Nordic region and northern Europe. Vattenfall is also developing infrastructure for recharging electric cars and is already selling charging stations to companies and public authorities.
Vattenfall offers a comprehensive energy advisory service on its website, accessible to everyone, and customers can come into direct contact with our energy experts: www.vattenfall.se/energismart.