We developed a new approach to help energy planners better include buildings in power grid planning. Traditionally, buildings are seen as fixed users of energy, but we treat them as flexible participants that can adjust their heating and cooling to help the grid. We do this using physics-based models that represent how buildings store and use heat, based on real building data. Our method uses high-speed computing to simulate thousands of buildings across different regions in great detail.

This approach shows how buildings can shift their energy use—especially during extreme weather like heatwaves or winter storms—to reduce pressure on the grid. We tested this using a case study in New England. The results showed that buildings could lower their energy demand by 50–60% during peak times, cutting overall system costs by about 9%. It also showed that the system would need less battery storage while allowing for more renewable energy, like solar and wind, to be used. Overall, this work helps us design smarter, more climate-resilient energy systems and supports the move toward cleaner, more flexible buildings.