ABOUT THE SITE

Each country sets its own terms for a building when classified as nZEB, but in general the term describes buildings that have high energy performance and belong to a specific energy class and above. These buildings can produce some of the energy they consume with various appliances near them.

Sometimes the energy produced is sufficient for the needs of the building or is even more than needed (surplus). It is observed that especially during the summer months some nZEB produce energy surplus (mainly by converting solar energy into electricity) which they either store or resell to the electricity grid. Of course, to achieve this, various devices and technologies are used that convert, produce electrical energy, automatically control its proper use or insulate the building. Some general info about nZEB and PV surplus will be given here.

However, the main target of this web site, though, is to operate as a dissemination platform for the Solar ERA.net project SUNSETS: A Modular Control Systems for Maximizing Solar Energy Utilization and Grid Service Provisions by Residential PV Systems coupled with Thermal Storage. SUNSETS will develop and demonstrate innovative solutions and technologies, enabled by digitalization, for a solar photovoltaic-dominated near zero energy building-based local energy community aiming to increase photovoltaics penetration and enhance community’s energy efficiency. SUNSETS’s advanced building energy management system maximizes, at the building level, the value of solar energy surplus by optimally dispatching building’s loads and energy (electricity and heat) storage to enhance solar energy self-consumption and improve the energy efficiency.