Integral design of sustainable energy into buildings: from synergy to Flexergy

Effects of Global Warming, caused largely by energy consumption, became a major concern during the last decade. Sustainable buildings became the major guiding principle for building and spatial planning practice. Sustainable buildings need an integral approach within the building design process to reach a maximum level of synergy between occupants, building, Heating Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC)-systems and sustainable energy. Design tools for implementing sustainable energy into the energy infrastructure of a building or buildings are presently lacking. In the conceptual phase of design this makes it impossible to balance and tune the demand for and the supply of renewable energy in the built environment in a flexible way. A design methodology for structuring and combining different functions and aspects within a building and between buildings, is presented. This enables the design of new renewable energy concepts aimed on optimizing energy flows and improve comfort for occupants at the same time. This methodology leads to more flexibility of the energy infrastructure; Flex(ible) (en)ergy.