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