Getting to net zero energy building: Investigating the role of vehicle to home technology

95 percent of American households own at least one car, and with the help of newly introduced Vehicle to Home technology, it is now possible for buildings, vehicles, and renewable energy sources to work together as a single techno-ecological system to meet the requirements of a net zero energy building. Vehicle to Home technologies use idle electric vehicle battery power as a grid storage tool to mitigate fluctuations from renewable electric power sources and to help supply backup power in the event of an emergency. This study aims to investigate the role of Vehicle to Home technology in satisfying the energy requirements for a net zero energy building. For this purpose, an optimization analysis is performed first to select the best design alternatives for an energy-efficient building under the relevant economic and environmental constraints. Next, solar photovoltaic sources are used to supply the building's remaining energy demand and thereby minimize the building's grid reliance. Finally, Vehicle to Home technology is coupled with the renewable energy source as a substitute for power from the grid. The results indicate that, with the help of this system, it is possible to not only lower the monetary value of the required grid electricity for such a building to zero in certain months of the year but also to earn money to compensate for the installation costs of solar panels and other technologies necessary for a net zero energy building, while grid electricity consumption for the rest of the year can still be effectively reduced by up to 68% compared to that of a conventional building design. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.