Decarbonising energy demand in the built environment: A holistic approach

Domestic energy demand in the United Kingdom accounts for 38% of the total, while heating accounts for 44% of the final energy consumption. At present this demand is predominantly covered by burning natural gas and oil, representing about 90% of the fuel share. Similarly, in Greece and other European countries space heating and cooling is the dominant demand component. The European Union and local governments have set ambitious targets to reduce total energy demand, to lessen the effect of anthropogenic climate change. But for this to happen, it is imperative that we drastically adjust the way we generate, manage and use energy within the built environment. However, this is a multifaceted challenge that involves not just engineering but also socioeconomic aspects, and spans across all layers of the energy supply system, from generation, to transmission, distribution and end-use of energy. If the net-zero targets set by governments are to be met, decarbonisation of the built environment energy supply will therefore require a holistic approach.

In this talk we will explore how technologies such as energy efficiency measures, demand reduction and management, and low carbon technologies at several scales (building integrated renewables, virtual power plants, energy communities, large scale RES etc.) can jointly contribute towards decarbonising the buildings energy supply, focusing on the domestic and commercial sector, drawing from experience gained through several relevant UK and EU research projects, and highlighting the interface between the energy supply system and the building design and management.