The Flexibility-Evaluation-Tool (FET) has been developed within the IEA EBC, Annex 67 – Energy Flexible Buildings. It is an Excel-based tool to uniformly visualize, characterize and evaluate flexibility for different data input sources. The tool:
- Evaluates of energy flexibility with different timesteps, timespans, cost functions/penalty signals based on a reference load profile, a load profile with flexible operation and a penalty signal/cost function
- Includes a reduced number of energy flexibility evaluation criteria and indicators
- Provides a way to compare results from simulations.
The excel workbook comprises two worksheets:
- Energy Flexibility Evaluation
- Boundary Conditions
The worksheet “Energy Flexibility Evaluation” collects the input data and also reports results. For the evaluation at least three inputs are needed:
- Reference load without flexibility
- Load with flexible operation
- Cost function
Within the worksheet “Boundary conditions”, boundary conditions for the entered data like out-door temperature, global horizontal irradiation on horizontal plane, minimum comfort tempera-ture, maximum comfort temperature e.g. can be documented.
Legend to image:
(1) Overall inputs for timespan, timesteps, cost-function/penalty function and units
(2) Input data about a buildings load profile, a flexible load profile and a cost function based on the timesteps, timespan and units
(3) Evaluation charts and characterization