As part of the effort to soon have the country running on 100% renewable electricity, Sweden is turning homes into highly efficient "prosumer" homes. Buildings capable of producing and consuming all of their own energy.
An example comes from the city of Ludvika, where the apartments from the 70s they have recently been refurbished with the latest in smart energy technology . A complex consisting of 48 family apartments distributed in 3 buildings has been completely converted. Now they are renewable energy homes: equipped with photovoltaic solar panels, thermal energy storage systems and heat pump systems. And there is also an energy "intranet" that connects them, in the full spirit of sustainable microgrids (or smart grid).
The result is a group of “prosumer” buildings, which produce rather than consume enough energy for 77% of the needs of the entire city's residents.
An impressive result
The results of the new renewable energy housing complex has prompted the Swedish government to start increasing funding to build smart grids. The idea is that homes can draw energy from a range of clean energy sources, from wind and solar to biomass and waste. Smart grids are capable of power balancing. They know how to react to bad weather. They can intelligently distribute the extra power in colder weather. Or even put this surplus of energy thus obtained in the storage battery when it is hot.
Not only is such a system efficient, but it can also lower energy bills for residents.
