The increasing share of renewable energy sources feeding in electricity and heating networks will require a change from demand based energy production to production based energy consumption. This is due to the short-term predictable energy based on wind and solar (PV as well as solar thermal) that is not open to influence, but that could be used more efficiently. That will release pressure from the net and necessary storage facilities. Energy consumption of buildings and building ensembles aligned with future energy production based on renewable energy sources will play a vital role in future.

The possibility to store heat via components of buildings (for example through thermal component activation), the number and size of hot water storages and batteries, the number and equipment of electrical compliances and consumers such as heat pumps, the applied control systems and so on define the building‘s potential of energy flexibility. In future a special focus in regard to heat storage and shift of load peaks of buildings should be on activating of building components. The thermal activated massive ceiling or wall can be additionally used for heating and cooling purposes besides its storage function.

The current issue of „nachhaltige technologien“ tries to characterize sustainable options of energy flexibility for buildings and shows the potential and strategies for implementation.