Stories from the home of the smart grid
Date and time: 9 November, 15:00 – 16:00 CET
Speaker: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Title: Stories from the home of the smart grid
Zoom: https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/69560887455
Meeting ID: 695 6088 7455
Password: 755440
Watch the recorded presentation:
Abstract: As a step towards a sustainable energy system, smart grids are built to increase the integration of renewable energy resources in the electrical grid. This leads to an uneven supply of electricity, in turn increasing the challenges for the electrical grid. Demand flexibility – flexible energy use – is proposed as a solution to these challenges and private households are referred to as an untapped flexibility resource. In this talk I will focus on what this entails for specific households and discuss some initial results from the project “Stories from the home of the smart grid”.
The purpose of the research project is to study the introduction of the second generation of smart electricity meters and smart grid technology in households, focusing on everyday life. I will share some results from a case study carried out in a residential area, where the 2nd generation of smart meters recently was implemented. Preliminary results reveal that there is a heterogeneity of households regarding the homes they create and how these relate to energy use, smart technology, environmental awareness, and the routines of everyday life. I will also discuss some insights on stakeholder expectations of households and the role ascribed to them as participants in the smart grid.
Bio: Cecilia Katzeff is associate professor (docent) in Human-Computer Interaction, stationed at SEED, the division for strategic sustainability studies. She was previously research director at the Energy Design group, RISE (formerly Interactive Institute). Her research is a human oriented approach towards the design of digital interaction between people, their environment and various artefacts and systems. It focuses the role of design of digital services for practice change related to sustainability. It includes design and the study of practices around energy use and food consumption in real life contexts.