Page 8 - Designing for Zero Carbon-Volume 2_Case Studies of All-Electric Multifamily Residential Buildings

DESIGNING FOR ZERO CARBON, VOL. 2 FOREWORD
Demand flexibility is becoming increasingly important as we rapidly electrify buildings and trans- portation, transitioning to 100% clean energy. (See graphic on the opposite page, which illus- trates the four principal areas of building decarbonization.) Central batteries or thermal storage systems can enable this flexibility, as well as enhanced resilience during power failures, but they also bring additional space needs. Emerging power-efficient (low maximum power) heating, cooling, hot water systems and appliances, as well as smart panels and circuit-sharing devices, will aid in controlling maximum power requirements. This can eliminate the need for costly elec- trical upgrades.
Finally, California policy is accelerating a transition to electric vehicles (EVs), which are increas- ingly integrated with our building infrastructure. Designers now need to provide more EV charg- ing capability, and must do so in a way that accounts for EV needs 20 years from now. As with other large loads, there is value to managing EV charging in real time using smart chargers to minimize peak demand while providing enough service flexibility for occupants.
Net-zero multi-family housing is here today, and building professionals are becoming more ex- perienced in navigating the attendant tradeoffs in space, capacity and cost. We are seeing that engineering and design challenges can be overcome even as new technologies are coming to market that will make net-zero multifamily buildings easier to design, build and maintain. Delivered alongside policies to shield the most vulnerable from higher utility bills, their benefits will carry us far beyond the basic climate impacts. In addition to energy considerations, electric buildings with storage are more resilient, and their avoided combustion emissions improve both indoor and outdoor air quality, leading to healthier built environments.
Jessica Granderson, Interim Director Iain Walker, Staff Scientist
Building Technology and Urban Systems Division
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
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Case Studies of All-Electric Multifamily Residential Buildings