Economic Analysis of Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: A Case Study in South China

Buildings play a significant role in the low-carbon transition of people’s lives and economy. Increasing the penetration of renewable energy in buildings is critical to reducing building carbon emissions in the building sector. To achieve this goal, the concept of the Energy-Flexible Building / Grid-Interactive Efficient Building was put forward for utilizing renewable energy to the utmost. Energy-flexible techniques and direct-current power systems are important components of energy-flexible buildings. However, economic analysis of these two aspects in China is rarely found in the literature. A building that has been put into operation in South China is used as the case building to explore the economic efficiency of the direct-current power system and energy-flexible techniques. By analyzing the initial investment and operational effects, it is found that the dynamic payback periods of the DC power system and energy-flexible techniques in case building are 15.11 years and 16.69 years, respectively, which provides evidence that Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings technology can reduce the energy consumption cost of the building throughout its whole life cycle.