11/03/2023
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
More than half of the 41 million single-family homes in Europe could already be energy self-sufficient today.
According to a study by the Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe (KIT), 53 percent of buildings would be able to "supply themselves independently of external infrastructure solely by using local solar radiation". This is initially only a matter of technical autonomy, which could increase to 75 percent by 2050 as a result of technical progress. This does not mean that autonomous supply is economical for every household.
The Karlsruhe scientists assume that the owners of around two million properties can become self-sufficient if they are prepared to spend up to 50 percent more than for a combination of self-generation and grid supply. Although self-sufficiency is possible for a large proportion of the remaining single-family homes, the additional costs here would be well over 50 percent. Whether self-sufficiency pays off varies greatly from region to region.
The KIT sees great potential for energy self-sufficient residential buildings, especially in regions with low seasonal weather differences, such as Spain. And in countries with high electricity prices, such as Germany. Generally speaking: In southern European countries, single-family homes have more potential for a completely independent energy supply. In Scandinavia, on the other hand, a high energy demand in winter meets low solar radiation and thus low self-production.
The study shows that a cost-optimized and self-sufficient energy supply for buildings in Central Europe would consist of a PV system for electricity generation and a combination of short-term battery storage and long-term, seasonal hydrogen storage.
Unclear consequences for supply systems
For the time being, it remains unclear what impact increasing household self-sufficiency would have on supply systems. In principle, the researchers suspect positive effects. "Partially self-sufficient homes could help to stabilize the overarching energy system in the future," the study states. Particularly at peak times, private generation or private storage could reduce the load on the grids.
Suppliers would then have to keep less power plant capacity available: "However, it would then be necessary to prevent building owners from completely disconnecting from the grid - for example by rewarding them for grid-friendly behavior with special electricity tariffs."
Author: Tom Weingärtner
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