Energy flexibility in a Czech smart home (2/4)

In the next article in our series on flexibility and the smart home, we look at how flexibility can be identified in individual technologies. Technologies and appliances installed in a home can also be assessed in terms of the ways in which their consumption can be controlled.In practice, almost any appliance can be controlled in some way, but the ability to control it should be understood in the context of the technology's characteristics and the limitations and comfort requirements of users.

The flexibility potential of battery storage and electric vehicles is clear, even if they are not integrated into a smart home. So let us first focus on HVAC, domestic hot water, swimming pools and other appliances, looking at their consumption volumes, controllability and contribution to a home's overall energy flexibility.

HVAC and domestic hot water

From a flexibility perspective, heating, domestic hot water with recirculation, cooling and mechanical ventilation are complex areas. There is a wide range of systems and sources for heating, cooling and mechanical ventilation. A specific installation may include one or several technologies, each with one or more heat or cooling sources, its own level of control, and room-level regulation of temperature and air quality. In a typical home, heating, cooling and mechanical ventilation are usually independent of one another, with their own control systems, and temperatures are not regulated by zone. Control is generally based on a schedule. Adding smart home supervisory control can make operations more efficient, enabling technologies to respond not only to a preset schedule but also to the home's operating modes, the presence of occupants, current weather and sunlight, as well as forecasts for these conditions. In addition, shading can work in synergy with both heating and cooling.