01 · Chapter
The smart meter
A smart meter records not only how much electricity is consumed or exported, but also when these exchanges take place. This time dimension reveals how the building actually operates.
Understanding SynergyFlex
The meter measures.SynergyFlex reveals the bigger picture.
The rollout of smart meters is making increasingly detailed energy profiles available. These data open up new possibilities: sizing a solar PV system and battery, using dynamic tariffs, or sharing locally generated electricity.
Meter
SynergyFlexCommon time base
- Consumption
- Grid export
- Price
- Generation
Data alone are not enough. Generation, consumption, storage, prices and exchanges with the grid all change at the same time and must be analysed on a common time base.
SynergyFlex grew from this observation as part of a Master’s thesis in Energy and Environment. Its purpose is to turn complex energy data into comparable scenarios and understandable decisions.
02 · Chapter
New possibilities
Explore the map: choose a scenario, then select an element or connection to follow the flows and understand the data being analysed.
Choose a map view
Overview
What it represents
A complete view of the building, meter, grid, solar PV, battery, tariff and local sharing.
Data used
All profiles are placed on a common time base.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Understand how physical flows and data converge before exploring a possibility.
Solar PV and battery
What it represents
Solar PV generation, direct consumption, battery storage and remaining grid exchanges.
Data used
Time-based generation and consumption, charging, discharging, exported surplus and remaining grid imports.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Compare alternatives with and without a battery. The value of storage depends on the actual profile, surplus, cost and operating conditions.
Dynamic tariffs
What it represents
A tariff signal connected to the meter, the grid and SynergyFlex.
Data used
Price at each time step, consumption, storage and grid exchanges.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Identify periods when exchanges with the grid may have different economic implications.
Collective self-consumption
What it represents
Local generation, several consumers, their local exchanges and the grid.
Data used
Generation and consumption profiles for each participant, local exchanges and remaining grid demand.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Assess the share used locally, remaining grid exchanges and the conditions for sharing. The applicable framework depends on the grid connection and distribution system operator.
Electricity grid
Supplies the remaining demand and receives surplus energy.
What it represents
The electricity grid connected to the building’s grid connection point.
Data used
Electricity imported from the grid and surplus electricity exported to it.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Assess the remaining grid exchanges and their energy and economic implications.
Smart meter
Records how much electricity is imported or exported, and when.
What it represents
The measurement point between the building and the electricity grid.
Data used
Imported and exported electricity assigned to each time step.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Understand how the building actually operates and reconstruct its exchanges with the grid.
Building
Its consumption profile changes over time.
What it represents
The building and its actual electricity demand over time.
Data used
The building’s time-based consumption profile.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Identify when energy is required and compare this demand with local generation and grid exchanges.
Solar PV
Generates local energy that varies over time.
What it represents
The solar PV generation associated with the building or site.
Data used
The time-based solar PV generation profile.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Compare generation with consumption, then distinguish direct use, surplus energy and remaining grid demand.
Battery
Shifts part of the energy through time.
What it represents
Energy storage connected to the building’s electrical system.
Data used
Energy sent to the battery, returned to the building and associated losses.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Assess the value of storage from the actual profile, available surplus, cost and operating conditions.
Dynamic tariff
The price of electricity varies by time of day.
What it represents
A tariff signal that changes over time.
Data used
Electricity price at each time step, combined with the measured grid exchanges.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Identify periods when consumption, storage or shifting certain loads may have different economic implications.
Collective self-consumption
Locally generated electricity can be shared by several consumers.
What it represents
Several buildings or consumers connected to local generation and the grid.
Data used
Time-based generation and consumption profiles for each participant, together with their exchanges.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Assess the share used locally, the remaining grid demand and the energy and economic conditions for sharing.
SynergyFlex
Brings time series together and compares scenarios.
What it represents
The analysis engine at the centre of the energy map.
Data used
Consumption, generation, storage, tariffs and grid exchanges placed on a common time base.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Simulate alternatives and compare their energy and economic implications to support a decision.
Compared scenarios
Turns results into information that supports a decision.
What it represents
The output of the analysis: comparable energy and economic alternatives.
Data used
Indicators produced from the same assumptions and common time base.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Compare the implications of each alternative without claiming a single answer outside the project context.
Flows and connections
Lines distinguish energy, data and tariff signals.
What it represents
Arrows show the nature and direction of each connection.
Data used
Grid imports, exports, direct consumption, charging, discharging and data transfers.
What SynergyFlex can analyse or support as a decision
Follow the path of energy and identify the data connecting the physical system to SynergyFlex.
03 · Chapter
The challenge lies in timing
Annual generation and annual consumption may appear compatible without ever coinciding. To assess a solution, every energy flow must be placed in time.
04 · Chapter
How SynergyFlex began
SynergyFlex grew from a Master’s thesis on energy and the use of new data, completed within the Master of Science in Engineering – Energy and Environment (opens in a new window). The platform was then developed further to bring together physical consistency, economic assessment and a clear presentation of the results.
Swiss context