Renewable energy means the country needs a smart grid approach
The testing, inspection and certification experts, Bureau Veritas, say that local authorities, commercial property owners and facilities managers should adopt smart grid technology to control the use of electricity during peak demand. 
 
Smart grid systems use renewable energy such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery energy storage (BESS) to allow buildings to both produce and use energy in a two-way process. 
Smart grid technology reduces the user’s reliance on the grid and helps to reduce energy costs by avoiding the more expensive time-of-use tariffs during periods of high demand. They can also take advantage of lower price ‘off-peak’ power over night, for example. 
 

Energy security 

The government’s Energy Security Bill is intended to create a sustainable UK-based energy system using wind and solar energy to reduce the country’s dependency on gas and oil from other countries. 
 
Smart grids will allow commercial buildings and homeowners to produce their own energy, store it, and use it when solar and wind power production is low. 
 
Commercial property owners could benefit by storing surplus renewable energy to use during peak demand for lighting, equipment and EV charging. 
 

The EV effect 

With the planned long-term increase in the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and with EV charging points installed as standard in all new homes this flexible use of energy will make a significant difference to costs. 
 
Renovations in supermarkets, workplaces and other buildings could include EV charging which could result in up to 145,000 extra charge points each year for the next decade. Soon EV charging points will also be required in all new commercial premises leading to a much higher demand for electricity supply throughout the day. Without smart grid systems in place this could put significant pressure on the grid. 
 

Future sustainability 

With more buildings being designed for future sustainability and to meet carbon net zero requirements, smart grid systems will become an essential part of the solution. To realise its full potential a significant knowledge gap must be bridged. Managers of buildings responsible for facilities and energy need the skills to assess the solar and wind energy potential of properties and to predict the cost benefits of using smart grid technology. 
 
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