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KEEPING UP WITH THE SMART
ENERGY TRANSITION: INSIGHTS,
METHODS, ETHICS
PROF KAREN HENWOOD, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
FLEXIS SOCIAL SCIENCES PROJECT TEAM:
PROF NICK PIDGEON, DR CHRIS GROVES, DR FIONA SHIRANI, DR
GARETH THOMAS, DR CATHERINE CHERRY, DR ERIN ROBERTS
SM ART ENERGY WALES, SWALEC CENTRE, CARDIFF 4 TH JULY 2019
W H O L E ( E N E R GY ) S Y S T E M T R A N S I T I O N / T R A N S F O R M AT I O N :
A S O C I O - T E C H N I C A L P R O B L E M & S U S TA I N A B L E E N E R GY
F U T U R E S M O N TA G E
‘SMART’ WAYS OF CHANGING
SOCIET Y: WHY PEOPLE MATTER
Our own track record:
“Energy biographies” research team (2011-2016)
encapsulating a psychosocial ethics
“major social change is unlikely to be possible if policy objectives create concerns about everyday, material dependences and a resultant sense of not being able to live a worthwhile life (LAWL). LAWL means having practical ways of keeping alive valued identities, desires and ways of sustaining (object) relationships.”
Flexis Overview8 Principal Investigators and 18 work packages
FLEXISWP0 Delivery (Management)
WP8 Research Development, Engagement and Impact (Management)
WP1 Integrated Energy Supply Systems (Prof N Jenkins)
WP17 Social Acceptability and Responsible Development of Energy Systems (Profs N Pidgeon & K Henwood)
Transition to the Low Carbon Future Low Carbon Future
WP2 Flexible Power Plant (Prof P Bowen) Energy Systems
WP3 Energy Storage to Power (Prof P Bowen) WP9 Smart Thermal Energy Grid (Prof HR Thomas)
WP10 Unconventional Gas (Prof HR Thomas) WP12 Geoinformatics and Environmental Monitoring (Prof HR Thomas)
WP13 Mitigation of the Environmental Impact of Shale Gas Recovery (Prof A
Barron)
WP16 Environmentally-Friendly Electrical Power Plant and Insulation (Prof M
Haddad)
WP5 Hydrogen Energy Storage (Prof A Guwy) WP18 Smart Energy Management (Dr P Igic)
WP6 Sustainable Production and Purification of Hydrogen, Syngas, BioH2 and
BioCH4 (Prof A Guwy)WP5 Hydrogen Energy Storage (Prof A Guwy)
WP7 Hydrogen and Syngas: Efficient Use (Prof A Guwy)WP6 Sustainable Production and Purification of Hydrogen, Syngas, BioH2 and
BioCH4 (Prof A Guwy)
WP15 Energy Vectoring through Hydrogen (Prof A Barron) WP7 Hydrogen and Syngas: Efficient Use (Prof A Guwy)
WP15 Energy Vectoring through Hydrogen (Prof A Barron)
Carbon Management
WP4 CCS-Integrated Power and Alternative Fuels (Prof P Bowen)
WP11 Carbon Sequestration in Coal and Soil (Prof HR Thomas)
WP14 Carbon Capture and Utilisation (Prof A Barron)
S O C IA L S C I E NCE A N D W H O L E
E N E RGY SYS T EM C H A NGE : T H E
F L E X IS P ROJECT
• Flexis project: 2016-2021, Cardiff, Swansea, South Wales universities
• Welsh Government support, partnership with local councils and businesses (e.g. Tata Steel)
• Social science focus
• Understanding energy needs and energy vulnerability
• investigating expert and public perspectives on promises and risks of whole energy system change
• Two key research sites:
• Port Talbot demonstration area
• Caerau (Bridgend)
http://flexis.wales
UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL IMPACTS
OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
• Welsh Government Smart Living agenda: ‘no one left behind’
• To what extent will emerging smart technologies enhance people’s participation in wider society (social inclusion), or undermine it (social exclusion)?
• Ongoing collection of qualitative data helping broaden views of how these affects might be produced
• Caerau: interviews with energy vulnerable households on everyday energy use and experiences of smart tech
• Port Talbot: deliberative workshops with community residents exploring energy futures including potential future expansions of smart tech
COMMUNIT Y ACTIVITIES: INTERVIEWS
AND COMMUNIT Y MAPPING
CAERAUApril – September 2017
• 18 Interviews – 23 participants
• Minewater scheme
• Smart technology
• Community background
• Past energy use
March – September 2018
• 17 Interviews – 22 participants
• Minewater scheme
• Changes to energy use
• Smart technology
• Energy vulnerability/ fuel poverty
May – September 2019 (planned)
• 15-18 Interviews –18-23 participants
• Minewater scheme
• Changes to energy use
• Smart technology
• Energy vulnerability/ fuel poverty
Community
mapping
task
SMART TECHNOLOGY AND
VULNERABLE CONSUMERS
– CAERAU DATA
• Participants found it difficult to see how smart technology could help vulnerable consumers
“it’s not going to help somebody that can’t afford to buy it in the first place. If you haven’t got 10 pound to buy your electric, a smart meter’s neither here nor there.” (Carole, 60s, I3)
• Low-income consumers already aware of their energy use because of concerns about cost and were sceptical of motivations around smart technology
“They do go on about this smart meter, but anybody with an ounce of common sense won’t use anything they don’t want to use … if I can turn it off when it’s warm enough to turn it off, turn it on when it’s cold, I’m the smart meter. I don’t need something on the wall to tell me that. It’s not going to save me money.” (Terry, 60s, I1)
• Important to ensure that consumers who do not see the benefits of smart technology do not find their situations worsened
ENERGY FUTURES IN PORT TALBOT:
FUTURE SCENARIOS
ENERGY SYSTEMS IN PORT TALBOT:
RE-IMAGINING EVERYDAY LIFE
• Use of imaginary personas to explore the
impact of technological change on everyday life
• Enabling imaginative connections to be made
between the fabric of life in Port Talbot now
and in the future
• Examples
• Electrification of cars and impact on public
space
• Smart energy systems reshaping social
relationships (energy sharing)
• Impact of smart technology on mental
health
““I think new technology
would stress you though,
with mental health issues, I
struggle with mental health
issues and think oh my god,
all this new stuff, I can’t
cope…” (Marcus)
ISSUES ARISING
• Scepticism about the promises of smart technology for vulnerable consumers
• Importance of recognising the diversity of household needs and competencies – support needed for people in using smart technology
• Must avoid worsening the situation of vulnerable consumers being left behind
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Given the “necessary excitement” over smart technology, what role does social scientific research into the energy transition play?
- Approach to energy vulnerability as more transient/dynamic (ie fuel poverty not a permanent fixture/given situation)
- Low carbon energy infrastructure needs to avoid experiences of detriment & inadequate access to energy services
- Co-designed frameworks under development – “services re-design” (awaiting ESC memorandum of understanding with WG/CU)
- Community engagements with future possibilities in their local areas -imaginative connections & inclusive dynamics of energy systems change
FLEXIS SOCIAL SCIENCE TEAM
Professor Nick Pidgeon
Professor Karen Henwood
Dr Chris Groves
Dr Fiona Shirani
Dr Erin Roberts
Dr Catherine Cherry
Dr Gareth Thomas
http://flexis.wales
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