Smart Grid- Smart Thinking? Exploring the construction of end-users in Danish smart grid pilot projects

Jørgensen, Laura Bothilde Taisbak

4. Term

Sustainable Design (M.SC)

2017

2017-06-09

78

Afhandlingen undersøger, hvordan to danske demonstrationsprojekter for smart grid - eFlex og EcoGrid EU - fremstillede husholdningsforbrugere og deres elforbrug, og hvad det betyder for fremtidig smart grid-udvikling. Et smart grid er et elnet, der bruger digital styring til at balancere produktion og forbrug. Studiet er eksplorativt og overvejende induktivt: Det analyserer projekternes afsluttende rapporter for at se, hvordan forbrugerens rolle blev beskrevet og formet, og sammenholder derefter disse fund med den videnskabelige litteratur. Derefter diskuteres, hvad resultaterne kan betyde for en national udrulning. Afhandlingen finder, at projekterne så elforbrug som resultatet af bevidste valg, der kunne ændres med den rette information og de rette incitamenter. Denne individorienterede forståelse problematiseres i lyset af de begrænsede resultater, og fokus på automatiserede ændringer i forbruget vurderes kritisk, da de indtil videre kun har haft beskeden effekt i Danmark.

This thesis examines how two Danish smart grid pilot projects - eFlex and EcoGrid EU - portrayed household consumers and their electricity use, and what that means for future smart grid rollouts. Smart grids are electricity networks that use digital controls to balance supply and demand. The study takes an exploratory, mainly inductive approach: it analyzes the final reports from both projects to see how they described and shaped the consumer's role, then compares these findings with published research. The discussion considers what these insights imply for a national deployment. The thesis finds that both projects treated electricity use as the result of deliberate consumer choices that could be changed with the right information and incentives. It questions this individual-focused framing in light of the limited results achieved, and it critically assesses the emphasis on automated changes in demand, which so far have had only modest effects in Denmark.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

smart grid ; demonstration project ; eFlex ; EcoGrid EU ; consumers ; consumption ; users

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