Buildings-to-Grid Integration

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Integrating buildings and the grid increases energy efficiency, supports incorporation of renewable energy, and balances new loads, such as electric vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office is coordinating strategies and activities with stakeholders to address the integration and optimization of homes and commercial buildings with the nation's energy grid.  BTO explores fundamental concepts of transaction-based energy systems, characterization of building end-uses, and the opportunities they bring to the larger energy system. It is also investing in VOLTTRON™, an open source control and coordination platform that DOE is developing as a common platform for distributed control. VOLTTRON enables developers to quickly build secure applications and agents that can unlock more value from building devices through the delivery of end-use services, grid services, and energy market services. Learn more about BTO's Buildings-to-Grid initiative. ►

Introduction and Vision

Buildings-to-Grid Technical Opportunities: Introduction and Vision

In this report, and in the associated papers examining building-to-grid opportunities from the three perspectives of buildings, the power grid and enabling information and communications technology, the Building Technologies Office (BTO) outlines the technical opportunities for building assets to seamlessly integrate and transact with grid operations. It defines the characteristics inherent in transaction-based controls that are necessary to control those building assets and operations using a “transactive” energy approach that incorporates decisions based on a value, such as cost, comfort, asset valuation, or “green-ness” of the power.

March 28, 2014

Featured Publications

Valuation of Transactive Systems

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Meeting Summaries & Presentations

Technical Meeting: Software Framework for Transactive Energy VOLTTRON 2017

On May 16-17, 2017, BTO held the fourth annual Technical Meeting on the Software Framework for Transactive Energy, otherwise known as VOLTTRON™ 2017.

June 6, 2017

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Buildings-to-Grid Opportunities

  1. Webinar: Connected Buildings Interoperability Vision, May 20, 2015. View webinar and slides.
  2. Submit public comments. No documents currently available.
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