Parametric design allows you to use software to automatically calculate and compare the performance of thousands of design options to arrive at the optimal building design. The building then performs well across all performance metrics, such as environmental requirements, sustainability, comfort, and budget. This makes it a smart way to design with the grid in mind.
During the DigiC Market Innovation Day, held on June 30 in Amersfoort, Stefan van Loon of Climetric demonstrated how software can be used to design a building in such a way that peak loads are minimized as much as possible and the available capacity within the existing grid is utilized effectively. This helps reduce grid congestion while also ensuring that construction projects can still move forward. For example, the software shows how to heat and cool a building as efficiently and energy-effectively as possible. There is significant potential for improvement in this area.
Parametric design
In his presentation, Van Loon focused primarily on two aspects of grid-conscious design. The first is reducing peak load. This involves the building envelope, insulation, sunshades, and similar measures. After all, the less energy a building needs for heating and cooling, the better. The second is shifting the energy peak so that it no longer coincides with the grid’s peak load.
However, it’s important not to focus solely on reducing grid load, but to always consider all performance criteria when searching for solutions. Because if you improve only one performance criterion, there’s a good chance you’ll create a new problem in another area. For example, certain designs may meet comfort requirements but exceed the budget, while other designs effectively reduce grid load but do not meet BENG requirements.
In parametric design, you use software, 3D models, and simulations to arrive at the design that best meets all requirements. This involves weighing all requirements across all performance axes simultaneously, allowing you to find the optimal solution for the system as a whole. In short, from a vast number of possible solutions, the single most optimal design always emerges.
3D model
Stefan van Loon used the design of an office building as an example. A 3D model was created of that building, which was used to simulate roughly 10,000 design variations by changing certain parameters. These include structural characteristics, building systems, and space profiles—in which you specify, among other things, how many people are expected to be present, at what times of day, and what equipment is located there. Factors such as shadows cast by the surrounding environment are also taken into account.
For every hour of every day of the year, this provides a precise overview for each room in every variant of what the indoor temperature will be, how much energy is needed for heating or cooling, and what the associated costs are. In this case study, no fewer than 17,000 different combinations were simulated, Van Loon explained.
Energy-efficient heating and cooling
For the building Van Loon used as an example, the architect had specified that it must be an all-wood construction project (CLT and HSB). The office building’s facade consists of a huge amount of glass and polycarbonate. That looks very nice, but it’s quite inefficient from an energy standpoint. Glass and wood lose heat very quickly and also heat up again very quickly. The model therefore quickly revealed that the design must take into account the additional energy required for heating and cooling.
To arrive at the best solution, the effects of a large number of design modifications aimed at reducing the grid load were examined. These included adding thermal mass in the form of PCM panels to stabilize the temperature. PCM panels contain a salt solution that stores heat or cold. They do not consume electricity themselves. These panels can indeed significantly reduce peak load.
However, it is essential to accurately determine the required (thermal) capacity, as well as how and when the panels can be recharged. Otherwise, PCM panels will not deliver the desired results. In this specific case, the model showed that nighttime ventilation was sufficient to charge the panels very energy-efficiently. The energy consumption of the fans is many times lower than that of a heat pump. This way, you meet both grid peak requirements and comfort requirements while keeping increases in energy consumption and energy costs to a minimum.
Turning off the heat pump during grid peaks
Turning off the heat pump during grid peaks helps reduce peak load even further. That’s why the model also examined the effects on the indoor climate when the heat pump is turned off at set times. Will you still be able to meet your comfort requirements?
A prerequisite for this is that a building’s interior temperature remains sufficiently stable. In this specific example—a wooden building with a lot of glass—that’s much more difficult because the thermal envelope isn’t optimal. As a result, the heat pump can ultimately only be turned off during grid peak hours in the winter. In the summer, overheating would occur after just one hour.
Without grid reinforcement
Based on the 3D model, even the building envelope was ultimately further improved to ensure the building would perform optimally across all performance metrics. To increase comfort and reduce energy consumption even during the summer, interior sunshades were installed. In addition, improved insulation, polycarbonate, and glass were used, resulting in significantly less heat and cold loss.
For the ventilation system that The control system now specifically directs the salt panels to charge and use fans for cooling at night using free outside air. This ensures that the heat pump can actually be turned off during peak hours in the winter. All in all, thanks to the software, the overall design meets all requirements across all performance axes, and a significantly lower grid connection capacity is sufficient. And that, in turn, has made it possible for the building to be completed—something that would not have been possible otherwise.
DigiC at Digibouw
Inspired by Climetric’s story? Discover more innovative digital solutions from DigiC at DigiBouw 2026. Register now and take advantage of the summer promotion with a 30% discount at www.digibouw.nl/registratie. Your ticket includes a day package: coffee, tea, lunch, and an afternoon snack.
