Techno-Environmental Assessment of a Rural Prosumer House: Grid Independence, Resilience, and Emission Performance

This study conducts a techno-environmental assessment of a fully electrified rural single-family house in Västerås, Sweden, functioning as a resilient, sustainable prosumer. It evaluates: (i) grid independence under normal conditions; (ii) thermal resilience during power outages with various enhancement strategies; and (iii) operational COâ‚‚ emission reductions versus combustion-based heating. Using IDA ICE simulations, the building’s energy performance is analyzed with integrated renewable energy (RE) systems: PV, solar thermal, batteries, thermal storage, electric heater, and heat pump. Key performance indicators include self-sufficiency rate (SSR), operational COâ‚‚ emissions equivalent, and thermal resilience metrics. Results show that combining RE technologies significantly improves year-round reliability and emissions reduction. PV-only systems perform well during long outages, while battery-only setups suffice for short ones. Even basic electric heaters maintain habitability during 3-day outages. The findings offer practical insights into enhancing resilience and sustainability in rural prosumer buildings through distributed RE systems.