♨️ Energy self-sufficient communities: what’s possible?

♨️ Energy self-sufficient communities: what’s possible?

Thermal energy, heat and cool, accounts for about half of our final energy demand. 80% of that is in our homes.

As we look to decarbonise electricity, and lighten the load on the grid, “prosumer” utlisation of solar PV makes so much sense to an increasing number of homes.

Batteries, V2G EVs, smart meters, all these things are making electricity more efficient – and cheaper.

What about heat? Building thermal tightness is part of the answer for new builds for sure, with Passivehaus the gold standard.

For the delivery of heat – and cool – it’s heat pumps. The efficiency journey starts with air-source heat pumps, but there’s more to do.

Thermal batteries, as simple as a hot water tank, can store heat made at night when electricity is cheaper.

Switching to geothermal (ground source) as the heat source/sink improves efficiency by providing steady temperatures to draw and inject heat. Seasonal efficiency jumps when geothermal cooling is adopted.

Communities can share boreholes and loops, greater efficiency from economy of scale.

Energy self-sufficient communities.

I’ve spoken to a number of developers over the last 3 years, but haven’t yet found the right one to partner with to build such a community in Ireland or the UK.

Who should I be talking to?