Office · Electricity
Electricity in office: what the SRI measures
This domain covers the building's electricity management: batteries, solar panels, shifting consumption to cheap hours, reporting to users and responding to grid signals. It is the core of energy flexibility.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator assesses the Electricity domain for office buildings.
- 2For offices, this domain carries substantial weight: two of the three weighting categories.
- 3The services cover storage, reporting and smart use of locally generated electricity, with functionality levels from 0 to 4.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting information regarding local electricity generation E-2 · A · 5 levels | None | Performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | level 2 or higher |
| Storage of (locally generated) electricity E-3 · A · 5 levels | None | On site storage of energy (e.g. electric battery or thermal storage) with controller optimising the use of locally generated electricity and possibility to feed back into the grid | level 2 or higher |
| Optimizing self-consumption of locally generated electricity E-4 · 4 levels | None | Automated management of local electricity consumption based on current and predicted energy needs and renewable energy availability | – |
| Control of combined heat and power plant (CHP) E-5 · 3 levels | CHP control based on scheduled runtime management and/or current heat energy demand | CHP runtime control influenced by the fluctuating availability of RES and grid signals; dynamic charging and runtime control to optimise self-consumption of renewables | – |
| Support of (micro)grid operation modes E-8 · 4 levels | None | Automated management of (building-level) electricity consumption and supply, with potential to continue limited off-grid operation (island mode) | – |
| Reporting information regarding energy storage E-11 · A · 5 levels | None | Performance evaluation including forecasting and/or benchmarking; also including predictive management and fault detection | level 2 or higher |
| Reporting information regarding electricity consumption E-12 · A · 5 levels | None | Real-time feedback or benchmarking on appliance level with automated personalized recommendations | level 2 or higher |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 4 percentage points (from 33 to 37 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does electricity carry such heavy weight for offices?
Offices have an irregular consumption pattern. Occupancy varies by day and hour, while lighting and ventilation often run throughout the working day.
For this building type, the Electricity domain counts towards two of three points in the final score. This is because offices have significant potential to shift consumption and combine local generation with storage.
Which smart-ready services fall under this domain?
The Smart Readiness Indicator examines multiple smart-ready services for electricity. A smart-ready service is a specific function that makes a building smarter, such as reporting or automatic control.
- E-2 Reporting of local generation: from no data to predictive management with fault detection.
- E-3 Electricity storage: from no storage to a battery that optimises and feeds back to the grid.
- E-4 Optimisation of own consumption: from time-based scheduling to automated management based on predicted demand and supply.
- E-5 Control of combined heat and power: relevant if the office has a CHP installation.
- E-8 Support for microgrid operating modes: from following grid signals to limited off-grid operation.
- E-11 Reporting on energy storage: from current charge status to predictive management.
- E-12 Reporting of electricity consumption: from building level to device level with personal recommendations.
Each service has functionality levels from 0 to 4. A higher level means more automation and more control based on current or predicted data.
What does this mean for an office's score?
The score per service is assessed against seven impact criteria, including energy efficiency and grid flexibility. Three key functionalities carry equal weight.
Offices without a battery, solar panels or CHP installation automatically score level 0 on some services. This is normal and says nothing about the quality of the building management system as a whole.
Is this already mandatory for offices?
The Smart Readiness Indicator is currently voluntary. Offices with an installation above 290 kW are expected to fall under the delegated act that the European Commission must adopt by 30 June 2027.
Separately, buildings above 290 kW have been subject to a building automation requirement under Article 13 of the EPBD since the end of 2024.
What this means for you
- Owner
- Have the building management system checked for services within the Electricity domain, especially if solar panels, batteries or a CHP installation are present. A higher functionality level on these services increases the score and can also lower energy costs.
- Tenant
- As a tenant, you will notice little direct impact from this domain, except possibly a more stable energy bill with well-managed storage and generation. Reporting services such as E-12 can provide insight into your own electricity consumption.
- Advisor
- When assessing, first check which installations are physically present, as multiple services automatically score at level 0 without storage or local generation. For offices, pay particular attention to the weighting of this domain, as it is heavier than for many other building types.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?