EBC - Annex 64: ”LowEx Communities”

The project aim is to develop technical solutions that include exergy principles in order to reduce greenhouse gases on society level. The physical property “exergy” can be described as a product of energy and “energy quality”. On the community scale, different types of supply systems require different supply temperatures. To obtain the maximum output from a given primary energy flow, different temperature levels can be cascaded according to the requirements of the building typology
and technology. This demands an intelligent arrangement and management of the temperature levels and flows within the system.
The hypothesis is that the exergy approach will save greenhouse gas emissions, energy and costs. Investigations on which alternative solutions are the most optimal in the long-term and with regards to the entire energy system are carried out. For some solutions it is difficult to determine the future economy before they have been standardized. Taking an exergy approach can help assess the future economy of the solutions.
This project will work mainly with two areas where exergy concepts can be strongly addressed:
1. Low temperature district heating for new and existing buildings
2. Electricity use for heating in off-peak hours in non-district heated areas