The H2020 project AmBIENCe has introduced the novel concept of Active Energy Performance Contracting (AEPC), which looks to harness a building’s energy performance potential by incorporating flexibility and demand response in addition to energy efficiency measures, under one energy performance contract. To enable this contractual framework and support the ESCOs in the calculations needed as input to create AEPC, AmBIENCe is developing the Active Building Energy Performance Modelling (ABEPeM) platform, foreseen to be launched in 2021.

What differentiates the ABEPeM platform from the traditional Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) saving estimation tools, is the possibility to quantify, through different scenarios, additional Demand Response (DR) related savings and value streams resulting from the active control of flexible assets. This is coupled with the calculation of performance guarantees and assessments of the flexibility in the building and the contract.

The AEPC concept, the platform and related business models are currently being tested in two AmBIENCe pilots, covering respectively office and educational buildings in Portugal and Belgium.

The potential benefits of the application of the AEPC model are numerous. Increasing the efficiency and smartness of a building can increase the overall energy savings generated, while reducing payback times and improving performance guarantees. This could result in a more attractive service offering from ESCOs towards building owners, helping them reach new client types and scale their services, while simultaneously harnessing a building’s full potential for energy savings.

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Proof-of-concept version of the ABEPeM platform

AEPC contracting model

AmBIENCe aims at extending the concept of Energy Performance Contracting to Active Buildings and making it available and attractive to a wider range of buildings. AmBIENCe will provide new concepts and business models for performance guarantees of Active Buildings, combining savings from energy efficiency measures with additional savings and earnings resulting from the active control of assets leveraging for instance price based incentive contracts (Implicit Demand Response).