The transition of the energy sector towards increasing shares of renewable and thus fluctuating energy sources in building operations necessitates the development of suitable technologies to store excess energy for later use. For example, battery storage systems store electrical energy that is captured during periods of low demand or high generation (e.g., from solar panels) and release it during periods of high demand. Thermal energy storage in the building’s structure leverages the capacity of materials such as concrete or bricks to store thermal energy and release it when needed, through targeted pre-cooling or pre-heating.
In the context of demand side management (DSM), energy storage is crucial to balance the variable generation of renewable energies and ensure supply security. Cloud-based software solutions can support this process in a data-driven manner by monitoring energy consumption and generation in real-time and identifying optimal windows for charging and discharging energy storage systems.