Whole system design
Whole system design
Futureproofed is conscious of the limits generated by traditional engineering where economic theory holds that the more of a resource you save, the more you will have to pay for each increment of saving. However, if done well, saving a large amount of energy or resources often costs less than saving a small amount.
More-for-less: Whole System Design (WSD)
One way to achieve this more-for-less result is to integrate the design of an entire package of measures, so that each measure achieves multiple benefits, such as savings on both energy and equipment costs. Therefore:
• The whole system should be optimized;
• All measurable benefits should be counted for the whole system;
• The right steps should be taken at the right time and in the right sequence. An example of this principle is the super efficient passive building.
Examples of Whole System Design (WSD)
Passive buildings (low energy building)
Passive building design demonstrates that by designing for the whole system, saving large amounts of energy can be effective, desirable, and affordable, by tunnelling through the cost barrier. Passive building can help solve the climate crisis through their staggering potential for reduction of energy usage and more comfortable, modern living.
In Europe more than 10000 passive buildings have been built : housing, offices, university dorms, apartments, schools, sport facilities, schools,…
Transportation
The Smart Garage Initiative is about the interconnection of the vehicle fleet, buildings and the power grid to create energy system synergies in efficiency, cost, and emissions.
Google, with partners, for instance, seeks to accelerate the development and implementation of grid infrastructure and strategy to connect plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) to the power grid, enable battery charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) dispatching, and realize the potential for efficiency gains and increased reliance on renewable energy sources in both the transport sector and the power delivery system. A promising new development, resulting from advancements in battery technology, is the introduction of efficient plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). In addition to greater fuel efficiency and fuel flexibility, PHEVs offer the prospect of a large power storage resource connected to the grid. Such storage can limit peak demand and enable a greater share of cheap, intermittent renewable generation (such as wind) to be utilized. Although such vehicles shift energy costs and emissions from vehicles to the power sector, they can reduce total system costs and emission intensity, especially CO2.