Questioning the Top-Down Design Vision of an Energy Community: A Field Deployment Study
Authors
Jensen, Simon Bjerre ; Gram, Mikkel ; Sørensen, Mikkel Harboe
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2020
Abstract
Energy communities are often promoted as a route to greener consumption, yet many solutions are designed top-down and assume that consumers will respond rationally to scheduling (shifting) and eco-feedback. This thesis examines whether such a design vision aligns with the everyday practices, norms, and values of ordinary households. We conducted a field deployment of the web-based Energy Planner app, which forms energy communities and recommends when to run energy-intensive appliances. Six households used the app for one month as a community. We collected qualitative data through interviews about experiences at both household and community levels and analyzed the material thematically/using content analysis. The findings are presented as categories that describe participants’ lived experiences with the app and are used to discuss alternative design visions for energy communities. The thesis contributes a field study of a top-down designed energy-community app and a discussion of possible directions beyond the top-down design vision.
Energifællesskaber fremhæves ofte som en vej til grønnere energiforbrug, men mange løsninger er designet top-down og bygger på antagelser om, at forbrugere vil reagere rationelt på skemaplanlægning af forbrug (shifting) og eco-feedback. Dette speciale undersøger, om en sådan designvision faktisk passer til hverdagslivets praksisser, normer og værdier i almindelige husholdninger. Vi gennemførte en feltudrulning af den webbaserede app Energy Planner, som etablerer energifællesskaber og giver anbefalinger til, hvornår strømkrævende apparater med fordel kan anvendes. Seks husholdninger brugte appen i én måned som et fællesskab. Vi indsamlede kvalitative data via interviews om erfaringer på både husholdnings- og fællesskabsniveau og analyserede materialet tematisk/med indholdsanalytiske greb. Resultaterne præsenteres som kategorier, der beskriver deltagernes erfaringer med at leve med appen, og bruges til at diskutere alternative designvisioner for energifællesskaber. Afhandlingens bidrag er dels et feltstudie af en top-down-designet energifællesskabsapp, dels en diskussion af mulige veje ud over den top-down designvision.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]