Following the long-term research on cooperation between different energy sources for buildings (heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, solar systems etc.) and different types of energy (thermal and electrical) accumulation systems, technological combinations are investigated – multivalent power systems. The aim is to optimize cooperation of all power sources with emphasis on energy and economic efficiency of cooperating sources. Research objectives correspond with the requirements of industry to meet the energy demand of technical and residential buildings, reduce the amount of input power and exploit new technologies especially in renewable sources.
Research is focused on the fast-developing sector of small-scale electric power production combined with exploitation of secondary heat, effectively utilized in other processes – heating, cooling, or production technology. With increasing number of sources problems arise concerning their operation and management within power systems. The Smart Grids concept is used to investigate intelligent behaviour of small sources as autonomous units of power supply in an island operation, possibilities of fast changeover as a stand-by sources, exploitation of their extreme dynamic properties in the role of fast controllers and combination in larger wholes (so called virtual power plants).