Sustainable Futures in the Built Environment to 2050

14Energy Interactions: The Growing Interplay between Buildings and Energy Networks

Phil Coker and Jacopo Torriti

14.1 Introduction: energy interactions

The ways that we access, transport and use energy are changing dramatically in the face of technological advancement and evolving policy imperatives, not least the desire to decarbonise our energy system and wider economy. Electricity is now being generated from wind and solar energy, whilst ageing, centralised fossil and nuclear power stations are being decommissioned. New generating technologies can be installed at a local level, enlisting energy consumers as power generators. Energy applications are changing, with an explosion of new IT, communication and entertainment technologies accompanying dramatic efficiency gains with traditional technologies. There are signs of significant energy services transitioning from oil and gas to the electricity network, with a growth in electric heating and electric vehicles. These trends are bringing remarkable challenges and opportunities for existing and new entrant industry stakeholders.

The built environment sits at the forefront of these dramatic changes. The traditional concept of a centralised and separable energy system that delivers power to an unengaged energy user is losing relevance. Changes in energy use, energy production and energy management are playing out in our urban areas. The planning, design and operation of energy systems within buildings and cities is increasingly ...