Project

Expanding the scope of Minergie standards to include electric vehicles

The growing market success of electric vehicles and the increasing relevance of efficient, interconnected energy-management systems raise the issue of whether it would be appropriate to include vehicle charging systems in the scope of building services engineering. Working on behalf of the Swiss standards organization Minergie, EBP is currently establishing a basis for deciding whether the scope of Minergie building standards should be extended to include electric vehicles.

According to market forecasts, the use of electric vehicles in Switzerland is expected to increase. When powered by renewable sources of energy, electric vehicles represent a far more sustainable approach to meeting our transportation needs. A growing fleet of electric vehicles could either help to integrate the variable production of renewable energy into the grid, or make the situation worse as a result of excessive peak loads. This is why the smart integration of electric vehicles in existing power grids is essential.

Building standards and electric vehicles?

The need for a smart charging infrastructure for electric vehicles speaks in favor of including electric vehicles in the scope of building services engineering. This would enable one to optimize the interaction between energy generators such as photovoltaic installations and electric vehicles when it comes to energy efficiency. Minergie is in the process of assessing the right response to these new developments, in particular, the extent to which its building standards should account for electric vehicles.

A basis for decision making

With an eye to the core mission of the Minergie enterprise, EBP is examining the risks and opportunities of integrating electric vehicles into the scope of Minergie building standards. Working together with external experts, we are evaluating the viable approaches to such integration and working out the details of the most promising of the approaches so as to provide Minergie with a basis for making sound decisions.

Picture Credits: Forum A, Herzogenbuchsee

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