Electrification of all end-use sectors is identified as key in the transition to a sustainable low-carbon society. In Norway, the building sector accounts for 57% of the electricity use and is mainly used for heating purposes which are mostly concentrated in winter and largely responsible for the peak load during the coldest days in a year.
The main question is: how to limit the peak load's growth with increased electrification?
Identify when and why the peak loads occur
More knowledge is needed on the load characteristics of buildings including electric vehicles, heat pumps, and local solar production. These technologies are connected behind the meter in buildings, thus affecting the buildings' electricity load profiles.
In COFACTOR, building owners and utilities cooperate with SINTEF and NTNU to fill the knowledge gap on energy use "behind the meter" in Norwegian buildings. The aim is to provide new and updated coincidence factors and standard load profiles for different building categories, as well as to suggest a methodology for estimating the peak load of buildings. The latter is to be used for designing buildings to be well integrated into the future low carbon society, as well as to be used in the Energy Labelling of Buildings.