When designing a Plus Energy Buildings, the use of renewable energy produced on-site must be prioritized. When on-site production isn’t enough, nearby sources, like those in the neighbourhood or district, can be used if they are directly connected and controlled by the building’s energy system. 

Key recommendations from designers to integrate renewable energy generation:

• Be mindful of location and resources: choose renewable energy sources like solar or wind based on the building's location and design. 

• Use of geothermal probes as source for heat pumps should also be evaluated based on site-specific conditions, local climate, and regulatory frameworks.
• Plan for solar panels early: identify surfaces for solar panels and optimize their placement for maximum generation. 

• Consider multi-use roofs: they may also serve as green roofs or water retention, alongside energy production. 

• Integrate battery energy storage systems to manage energy supply and demand effectively
• Consider user-related energy consumption: in dense urban areas or tall buildings, it might be harder to generate enough renewable energy on-site. However, focusing on user-related energy consumption, like plug loads and electric vehicle charging, can help designers create more user-centric and efficient solutions. 

• Maximize self-consumption, that is, using the energy generated on-site instead of sending it to the grid: this is key 
to making renewable energy cost-effective, especially where selling energy back to the grid isn't profitable. 

• Consider exploring community-based renewable energy solutions, such as shared solar installation or Renewable Energy communities. 

How does a Renewable Energy Community work? 

A Renewable Energy Community (REC) is a legal entity that allows people and businesses to work together to generate, share, and use renewable energy, like solar power. By joining a REC, members can reduce electricity costs and support local energy markets. It works easily: 

1. Members of the REC, including homeowners with solar panels and those without, pool their energy resources. 
2. The community produces and uses renewable energy together, primarily from photovoltaic systems. 
3. Sharing energy lowers costs, shortens the payback period for renewable energy investments, and increases 
the share of renewable energy in use. 

The rules for creating and running RECs vary by country, but they generally involve two main groups: 


• Individual users, so members of the community who produce or consume energy. 
• REC supervisor, a coordinator that manages energy flow within the community. 


The supervisor balances the energy use of all members by: 


• Storing extra energy produced by the community in shared storage systems. 
• Using stored energy when demand is higher than production, reducing reliance on the main electricity grid. 


Key elements for the success of Renewable energy communities include: 


• Early integration of PV and energy storage: design PV systems and storage solutions (such as batteries) early, 
and include smart-metering to track energy production and use. 
• Encourage variety: different user habits improve energy sharing. For example, if some members use more energy 
in the evening while others use more in the morning, the community benefits. 
• Use controls at community level: advanced control strategies for battery storage can maximize self-consumption 
and minimize the energy request from the grid. 
• Share energy efficiently: communities can use models like peer-to-peer sharing or peer-to-grid distribution 
to share surplus energy. 
• Promote diversity: having a mix of users with different energy needs makes balancing supply and demand easier. 

How can self-consumption be maximized? 

Various strategies can be implemented while designing Plus Energy Buildings: 

• Align energy production with peak demand: position solar panels to generate energy during peak usage times 
(e.g., morning-oriented panels for high morning usage). 
• Plan for battery systems to save excess energy for use during low-production times. 

• Incorporate thermal storage to heat water with surplus energy for later use. 

• Use smart appliances that adjust their energy use to match solar generation times. 

• Use home management systems to track energy use and production and inform users of when it is most convenient to use energy. 

• Include electric vehicle charging points to encourage energy use within the building. 


With these strategies, it is easier for Plus Energy Buildings to harness and store renewable energy, reducing reliance 
on the grid and increasing energy independence.