| 1. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-
(författare)
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Boosting behavioral change in residential electricity consumption : demand response programs and feedback
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- As part of realizing national and European climate ambitions, it is imperative to bring about increased energy efficiency and consumption flexibility in the residential sector of the Swedish power market. In addition to governmental policy instruments to this end, market-based measures play an important role in making behavioral change in domestic electricity use happen. In light of the prevailing lack of incentives for residential consumers to save electricity and cut peak demand at times of physical and financial market constraints, the research studies that form the basis of this thesis have the aim of adding to the body of knowledge on policy instruments for the purpose of boosting behavioral change in residential electricity consumption. The research has accordingly contributed to the general statistics on residential electricity consumption, which constitute the starting point for policy instrument development, and augmented knowledge on the merits of residential demand response programs involving hourly settlements in power trading and demand-based, time-of-use tariffs in power distribution as well as graphic feedback on individual households’ electricity use by means of a statistics service provided over the Internet. The overall results have shown that household behavior, together with physical factors such as heating systems, help explain the sizeable differences in electricity consumption among homeowners. Statistical analysis of variance has in this context proven to be an effective method for identifying key indicators of policy development. Power suppliers and electricity consumers as well as society as a whole have been found to gain substantially from hourly settlements in retail. To suppliers, the greatest benefits are associated with risk management, while the major advantage to customers is that they are provided with an opportunity to reduce their electricity costs. It has also been empirically demonstrated that electricity users are willing to adjust their consumption to a demand-based, time-varying distribution tariff. Households generally have a favorable attitude towards this type of distribution tariff, seeing as they indirectly have a positive impact on the environment. Providing households with feedback over the Internet on their individual electricity use and demand has been shown to contribute to an increased awareness and lead to energy efficiency in homes. Easy accessibility and simplicity have proven to be key success factors in this context. Combining conventional bar charts, color symbolism and historic feedback is expedient in this respect.
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| 2. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Climate-smart information design: Visualizing residential electricity use over the Internet
- 2011
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Ingår i: Information Design Journal. - : John Benjamins Publishing Company. - 0142-5471 .- 1569-979X. ; 19:1, s. 3-17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In light of global warming, energy conservation is indispensable. Residential electricity use nevertheless escapes consumers’ notice. Thus feedback is essential, yet households’ access to information is extremely limited. Smart metering makes continuous feedback over the Internet possible, but users perceive existing web tools to be inaccessible and incomprehensible. Hence the aim has been to design a user interface to increase awareness and energy efficiency in households. Ease of access and straightforwardness has been established as key factors and conventional bar charts in combination with colour coding have proved useful in this respect.
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| 3. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Dansmästaren : Dansar elbilsägare efter det lokala elnätets pipa?
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Titeln “Dansmästaren” syftar till mobilitetshuset i Uppsala med samma namn och undertiteln ”Dansar elbilsägare efter det lokala elnätets pipa” till parkörers drivkrafter och hinder att vara flexibla när de laddar sina el- och hybridbilar. Studiens resultat visar att smart laddning är mindre problematiskt i anslutning till bostaden än på publika parkeringsplatser. Detta eftersom osäkerheten är mindre och tillförlitligheten större i samband med den förra och vice versa med den senare. Ekonomiska incitament tenderar att vara en viktig drivkraft, och rädslan för utebliven laddning och laddblockning, betydande barriärer för flexibel laddning vid publik parkering.
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| 4. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring variance in residential electricity consumption : Household features and building properties
- 2012
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Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 92, s. 637-643
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Improved means of controlling electricity consumption plays an important part in boosting energy efficiency in the Swedish power market. Developing policy instruments to that end requires more in-depth statistics on electricity use in the residential sector, among other things. The aim of the study has accordingly been to assess the extent of variance in annual electricity consumption in single-family homes as well as to estimate the impact of household features and building properties in this respect using independent samples t-tests and one-way as well as univariate independent samples analyses of variance. Statistically significant variances associated with geographic area, heating system, number of family members, family composition, year of construction, electric water heater and electric underfloor heating have been established. The overall result of the analyses is nevertheless that variance in residential electricity consumption cannot be fully explained by independent variables related to household and building characteristics alone. As for the methodological approach, the results further suggest that methods for statistical analysis of variance are of considerable value in indentifying key indicators for policy update and development.
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| 5. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Further exploring the potential of residential demand response programs in electricity distribution
- 2014
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Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 125, s. 39-59
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Smart grids play a key role in realizing climate ambitions. Boosting consumption flexibility is an essential measure in bringing the potential gains of smart grids to fruition. The collective scientific understanding of demand response programs argues that time-of-use tariffs have proven its merits. The findings upon which this conclusion rests are, however, primarily derived from studies covering energy-based time-of-use rates over fairly short periods of time. Hence, this empirical study set out with the intention of estimating the extent of response to a demand-based time-of-use electricity distribution tariff among Swedish single-family homes in the long term. The results show that six years after the implementation households still respond to the price signals of the tariff by cutting demand in peak hours and shifting electricity consumption from peak to off-peak hours. Studies conducted in the Nordic countries commonly include only homeowners and so another aim of the study was to explore the potential of demand response programs among households living in apartment buildings. The demand-based tariff proved to bring about similar, but not as marked, effects in rental apartments, whereas there are virtually no corresponding evidences of demand response in condominium apartments.
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| 6. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Introducing a demand-based electricity distribution tariff in the residential sector : demand response and customer perception
- 2011
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Ingår i: Energy Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4215 .- 1873-6777. ; 39:9, s. 5008-5025
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increased demand response is essential to fully exploit the Swedish power system, which in turn is an absolute prerequisite for meeting political goals related to energy efficiency and climate change. Demand response programs are, nonetheless, still exceptional in the residential sector of the Swedish electricity market, one contributory factor being lack of knowledge about the extent of the potential gains. In light of these circumstances, this empirical study set out with the intention of estimating the scope of households’ response to, and assessing customers’ perception of, a demand-based time-of-use electricity distribution tariff. The results show that households as a whole have a fairly high opinion of the demand-based tariff and act on its intrinsic price signals by decreasing peak demand in peak periods and shifting electricity use from peak to off-peak periods.
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| 7. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Marknadsstyrd effekttariff : Efterfrågeflexibilitet i kundgruppen 35-63A
- 2018
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Projektet utgör en fallstudie beträffande implementeringen av en marknadsstyrd effekttariff i kundsegmentet 35-63 A inom eldistributionen. Studien genomförs inom ramen för ett pilotprojekt på Sandviken Energi Elnät AB och i nära samarbete med övriga nätbolag som omfattas av nätverket Elinorr.En ökad efterfrågeflexibilitet, det vill säga en anpassning av elanvändningen till överförings- och produktionskapaciteten i energisystemet, är ett viktigt led i de politiska ambitionerna att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser samt att öka energieffektiviseringen och andelen förnyelsebara energikällor. En viktig premiss för realiseringen av dessa mål är så kallade smarta elnät. Dessa förväntas möjliggöra övergången från en fossilberoende till en eldriven fordonspark och den storskaliga integrationen av el från exempelvis sol och vind i energisystemet, vilket i sin tur både påverkar och ställer krav på elkonsumenters beteende. För att klara omställningen till ett uthålligt energisystem måste det således skapas förutsättningar för elkonsumenter att medverka till en effektivare elanvändning.Mot denna bakgrund har nätbolagen som omfattas av Elinorr utvecklat ett tariffkoncept, som kallas ”marknadsstyrd effekttariff” och syftar till att skapa incitament för efterfrågeflexibilitet inom eldistributionen. Grundprincipen är att tariffen uppdateras årligen med utgångspunkt från de två föregående årens lastkurvor. Kunderna påverkar således nästkommande års tariff via sitt elanvändningsmönster. Effektavgiften varierar från månad till månad och är baserad på den sammanlagrade maxeffekten i samtliga kundsegment. Det övergripande syftet med projektet är att empiriskt studera effekten av den marknadsstyrda effekttariffen på elanvändningsmönstret samt elkonsumenternas uppfattning om och förståelse för densamma.Den 1 maj 2015 införde Sandviken Energi Elnät AB, som omfattas av Elinorr, den marknadsstyrda effekttariffen i kundsegmentet 35-63A. Analyserna avseende den marknadsstyrda effekttariffens inverkan på lastkurvans profil är baserade på timvisa elkonsumtionsdata från denna grupp elkonsumenter i Sandviken och motsvarande kundsegment i referensområdet Sundsvall. Delstudien som avser kundperspektivet är baserad på djupintervjuer och en enkätstudie.Studiens resultat påvisar att implementeringen av den marknadsstyrda effekttariffen, trots låg kännedom om dess existens, har haft en effekt på elanvändningsmönstret och att denna tenderar att öka över tid.
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| 8. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Opening the black box of demand response : Exploring the cognitive processes
- 2024
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Ingår i: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. - : Elsevier. - 1364-0321 .- 1879-0690. ; 189
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evaluations of price-based demand response programs tend to focus on users' electricity use patterns and/or their practical experiences. Less is known about the effects that price-based demand response programs have on cognitive drivers and barriers to energy-using behaviors and habits, or how well these predict timing of households' electricity use. This study seeks to address this gap by evaluating the effects of a mandatory demand-based time-of-use distribution tariff, using electricity-meter and questionnaire data in an intervention and a reference area, and a structural equation model following the theory of planned behavior. Although no effect was found of the tariff on the actual proportion of peak-hour use, there were significant effects on users’ intentions and motivations to shift electricity use to off-peak hours. The absence of effect on the proportion of peak-hour use seems explained by the facts that only a minority of consumers were aware of their tariffs, and by the (at least partially correct) beliefs that consumers used very little electricity and most of it was already used in off-peak hours. The relationships between intentions, drivers and the actual proportion of peak-hour use were stronger in the intervention area, compared to the reference area. Interestingly, this was true not only for the motivation targeted by the tariff, economic savings, but also for sustainability concerns and social norms. This suggests that effects of the tariff may partly run via other non-monetary motivators.
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| 9. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Potential of hourly settlements in the residential sector of the Swedish electricity market : Estimations of risk reduction and economic result
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of Green Energy. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1543-5075 .- 1543-5083. ; 7:3, s. 224-240
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increased demand response is essential in order to boost the effectiveness of the Swedish power market. The all-embracing installation of automatic meter reading systems enables power suppliers to introduce hourly settlements in the residential sector. The aim of the study has been to assess the impact of electricity retailers’ physical and financial risk in customer segments with different heating systems as well as to estimate the potential of the electricity contract ”Fixed price with the right to return” in terms of economic consequences and risk management. The results show that households whose main heating system consists of a geothermal heat pump constitute the largest physical price and volume risk of suppliers. The gain of introducing hourly settlements in the residential electricity market has furthermore proven to be manifold from both an economic and risk reducing point of view.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Bartusch, Cajsa, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Solcellsresan : Utveckling av holistiska affärsmodeller och IT-tjänster för prosumenter
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Andelen solceller i det svenska energisystemet ökar snabbt, men inte tillräckligt snabbt för att motsvara de politiska ambitionerna. Förklaringarna ligger bland annat i det faktum att det fortfarande florerar missuppfattningar om effektiviteten och lönsamheten samt den i viss mån befogade tvekan inför den pappersexercis som investeringen förknippas med. För att accelerera installationstakten måste fördomarna raseras, administrationen förenklas och solcellsägandet bli attraktiv norm. Mot den bakgrunden tog projektet ett helhetsgrepp om de osäkerheter som präglar såväl investeringen som driften av småskaliga solcellsanläggningar. Målet var att utveckla affärsmodeller och IT-tjänster, som dels gör solcellerna synliga i vardagen och till var mans egendom, dels skapar goda förutsättningar för prosumenter att med minimala ansträngningar optimera sin egen prosumtion. Det övergripande syftet var därmed att bidra till en effektiv användning av elnätet.
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| 12. |
- El Gohary, Fouad
(författare)
-
Diagnosing Demand Flexibility : On the limitations of price signals
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Mitigating the risks of catastrophic climate change requires wide-scale electrification and the rapid decarbonization of the energy sector. This transformation poses serious challenges to the management of electricity grids, ranging from increasingly intermittent generation to capacity constraints. One of the primary approaches employed to deal with these problems is demand-side flexibility (DSF), which applies a variety of policies that are broadly intended to manipulate electricity demand in ways that are conducive to the needs of the grid. Central to this approach are price signals, which convey information to users through electricity prices or incentives intended to elicit certain changes in behavior. The efficacy of price signals in fostering DSF has been limited and ambiguous. This thesis explores limitations in the current DSF strategy and its reliance on price signals, aiming to provide an understanding of its deficiencies and lay a foundation for alternative strategies.The findings have been organized into two tracks. The first concerns the internalization of price signals, shedding light on how only a minority of residential users are qualified to make informed decisions in responding to price signals. The results suggest that the strict attribution of a low response to “weak” price signals or to cognitive difficulties is misplaced, and that the failure of DSF policies may partly stem from a general ambivalence towards electricity consumption. The second track concerns the design of price signals and illustrates inconsistencies between their alleged goals and the behaviors that they would hypothetically elicit. These inconsistencies partially stem from the architecture of the electricity market but are also the outcome of a trade-off between the complexity of electricity pricing and the desire to render price signals comprehensible.Both of these tracks revolve around “functional” limitations, focusing on how price signals operate as instruments of behavioral change. The thesis also outlines a set of “structural” limitations that instead concern the fundamental reliance on price signals as the main mechanism for fostering DSF – a phenomenon described as the “price signal paradigm”. Under a paradigm that prioritizes free markets, minimal government involvement and a perception of users as price-responsive utility maximizers, policymakers have shifted the burden of responsibility onto users while constraining themselves to the limited role of information providers and signal designers. The implications of these findings are that policymakers should explore alternatives that shift responsibility back to system-level actors that are better suited for coordinating and fostering DSF.
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| 13. |
- El Gohary, Fouad, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating demand charges as instruments for managing peak-demand
- 2023
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Ingår i: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. - : Elsevier. - 1364-0321 .- 1879-0690. ; 188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reducing peak demand in distribution grids is associated with benefits such as delayed infrastructural investments, decreased losses and a reduced risk of power deficits. One instrument aimed at reducing peak demand is the demand charge, a capacity-based component in a network tariff that intends to encourage users to reduce their peak usage. Using ten years of data from a Swedish distribution network, this study demonstrates that demand charges may be unsuitable for managing the problems they are intended to address. Two critical misalignments in the design of these demand charges are identified: 1) Demand charges are most commonly based on maximum billing demand – a given user's maximum monthly peak – whereas the problem of peak demand overwhelmingly concerns maximum system peaks in the distribution grid as a whole. The lack of coincidence between these peaks suggest that demand charges are, by design, ineffective for reducing peak demand. 2) The peaks which determine a distribution system's maximum capacity requirements are rare, seasonal and largely temperature-driven events, whereas demand charges mainly target users' habitual daily patterns, encouraging daily shifts from peak to off-peak hours. As long as the main driver of network costs, maximum system peaks, are absent in their design, demand charges will neither reflect the costs that users impose on the grid nor provide them with the correct price signals on how to best act.
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| 14. |
- El Gohary, Fouad, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating user understanding and exposure effects of demand-based tariffs
- 2022
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Ingår i: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. - : Elsevier. - 1364-0321 .- 1879-0690. ; 155
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conventionally, demand response functions by communicating to electricity users through price signals embedded in their tariffs. These signals are intended to encourage a change in behavior, which hinges on the ability of users to understand their tariff and link it to the appropriate curtailment actions. This study focuses on demand-based tariffs, evaluating user's understanding of these tariffs and the conceptual grasp of power (rate of energy consumption) that they implicitly require. It also explores whether users exposed to these tariffs for extended periods develop a better understanding of them. Using a survey, the following points are sequentially evaluated: (1) Respondents' abilities to intuitively distinguish between energy/power (2) Their understanding of the different effects of curtailment actions under four distinct tariffs (3) Whether those subject to demand-based pricing outperform those subject to energy-based pricing. Despite a weaker conceptual understanding of power compared to energy, there were no significant differences between respondents' understanding of energy and demand-based tariffs. Comparing those subject to energy and demand-based pricing reveals that a majority were unaware of their own tariff (and hence which group they fall into), but for the minority of users who correctly identified their own tariffs, those subject to demand-based pricing outperform their energy-based counterparts. When presented with clear and instructive tariffs, respondents are largely able to deduce the consequences of curtailment actions, despite a weak conceptual understanding of power. A deeper problem is that the price signal may be entirely disregarded by an apathetic majority, reaching only an inquisitive minority.
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| 15. |
- El Gohary, Fouad, et al.
(författare)
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Getting the signal : Do electricity users meet the preconditions for making informed decisions on demand response?
- 2023
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Ingår i: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 100
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Demand response refers to changes in power consumption by electricity users in response to certain conditions on the electricity market. Anticipated to play a major role in the energy transition, demand response is conventionally exercised through network tariffs, which serve as a medium for price signals intended to incentivize and guide electricity users on how to best behave. Considerable attention has been devoted to the unresolved question of whether users are willing to respond to these signals, a question premised on the implicit assumption of cognizant users making informed decisions. Less attention has been dedicated to evaluating the validity of this assumption, and the extent to which users actually internalize these signals prior to making any decision on how to respond. This study posits that prior to making an informed decision on how to act, an electricity user must first “qualify” through meeting a set of preconditions. These preconditions are captured by a proposed three-stage framework that involves i) receiving the price signal (being aware of the tariff), ii) processing the price signal (comprehending its features) and iii) assimilating the price signal (understanding how behavior influences costs). Evaluating this framework using a survey, the study finds that only 3.8–8.5 % of respondents clear all three stages. This minority is substantially more likely to contain older villa-residents, who are comparatively more concerned with their costs and read their bills more frequently. The findings of this study demonstrate that the “audience” of tariff-based price signals are a small fraction of what is commonly supposed, and that research and policy should shift from a dominant focus on the magnitude of these price signals, towards alternative or improved strategies for communication and engagement.
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| 16. |
- El Gohary, Fouad, et al.
(författare)
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Identifying Challenges in Engaging Users to Increase Self-Consumption of Electricity in Microgrids
- 2021
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Ingår i: Energies. - : MDPI AG. - 1996-1073. ; 14:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A microgrid's self-consumption rate reflects its ability to retain its own energy and decrease its reliance on the synchronous grid. This paper investigates the empirical case of a microgrid equipped with photovoltaic (PV) panels and identifies challenges in engaging the microgrid's users to increase their self-consumption. Accordingly, we explored both the physical and social dimensions of the microgrid. The former involved mapping the electricity consumption and production through an exploratory data analysis, and evaluating the associated price signals, while the latter involved the use of design interventions to explore users' perceptions of the system. We highlight the problem of price signal impedance, the need for cost reflective pricing and the challenge in designing and extending internal price models in settings with various actors. We address the limitations of price signals, alongside alternative unidimensional signals, and emphasize the need for an integrated approach to a user engagement strategy as well as the challenges that this approach entails. Our results shed light on the complexity of energy communities such as microgrids, and why their implementation can introduce multidimensional challenges that demand cross-disciplinary approaches.
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| 17. |
- Koliou, Elta, et al.
(författare)
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Quantifying distribution-system operators' economic incentives to promote residential demand response
- 2015
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Ingår i: Utilities Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0957-1787 .- 1878-4356. ; 35, s. 28-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Demand response (DR) from end-users is widely investigated as a power-system flexibility resource in a European smart-grid environment. Limited knowledge exists on the added value such flexibility can bring to actors in the electricity value chain. This work investigates the economic effect of consumption flexibility under current regulatory remuneration on distribution-system operators with a Swedish case study. Results indicate DR leads to savings for the distribution-system operator, which might be used towards smart-grid investments. Peak demand is and will continue to be a main driver for grid costs and therefore should be a focal point in tariff design.
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| 18. |
- Nilsson, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Empowered or enchained? : Exploring consumer perspectives on Direct Load Control
- 2024
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Ingår i: Energy Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4215 .- 1873-6777. ; 192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Demand Response has become a central focus in policy discussions, attracting heightened attention for its potential key role in fostering enhanced demand flexibility. Direct Load Control (DLC) holds particular promise, requiring reduced consumer involvement compared to strategies relying on manual responses to time -varying pricing. However, the participation rate of residential consumers in DLC programs remains low, emphasizing the need for a more profound understanding of consumers' perspectives on DLC. Drawing from 15 in-depth interviews with Swedish households participating in a program involving direct load control of heat pumps, this study aims to explore the experiences and perceptions of consumers, providing in-depth understanding on factors that may serve as motivators, barriers and enablers for participation. Key findings include: financial benefits and interest in technology were the main motivations for participation; pre-existing knowledge and awareness of energy -related matters shaped consumers' attitudes to DLC; trust in the service provider was a key enabling factor for participation. The study further suggests that DLC does not inevitably lead to a perceived loss of control among participants, but, if implemented in alignment with their specific conditions, needs and preferences, may also foster a sense of empowerment.
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| 19. |
- Palm, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Drivers and barriers to participation in Sweden’s local flexibility markets for electricity
- 2023
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Ingår i: Utilities Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0957-1787 .- 1878-4356. ; 82
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Local flexibility markets (LFM) for electricity are in their early stages, and most research has focused on their design aspects and aggregators, while little attention has been paid to providers and potential providers of flexibility resources. The present research aims to fill this gap by analysing data from 25 in-depth interviews with enrolled and potential flexibility service providers of two LFMs in Sweden. The primary goal of the analysis is to identify the drivers and barriers to participating in and providing flexibility to LFMs that are influencing these actors. Our findings show that monetary incentives were not as important as expected. The main drivers were as follows: an aggregator acting as a mediator between the buyer and the provider; a champion with personal engagement in the organisation; a wish to be a part of resolving congestion in the electricity grid; and gaining knowledge about flexibility as a resource. The main barriers identified were that LFM design was challenging to understand and that extensive knowledge about how the market functions was needed to participate. Other barriers were related to existing regulations, manual and time-consuming processes, participation not being profitable enough, perceived interference with the companies’ core businesses, and the risk of compromising customer relationships. For the future, it is essential to simplify participation, develop automation, and contribute to establishing aggregators who can support potential flexibility service providers.
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| 20. |
- Stikvoort, Britt, et al.
(författare)
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Different strokes for different folks? : Comparing pro-environmental intentions between electricity consumers and solar prosumers in Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- When households invest in photovoltaics, they change from being electricity consumers to solar prosumers, a change that is often implied to also positively affect other pro-environmental behaviours. This article presents a comparison between Swedish consumers and prosumers (N = 460), concerning (i) whether consumers and prosumers engage in pro-environmental behaviours for different reasons, and (ii) whether prosumers and consumers differ in their intention to engage in these behaviours and if they find the reasons for doing so differentially motivating. Early and late prosumers are moreover compared to see whether time of investment influenced the reasons to engage in pro-environmental behaviours. The data show that both consumers and prosumers engaged in pro-environmental behaviours for the same reasons: convictions that behaviours contribute to the environment and one's life-quality. Moreover, both prosumers and consumers were more inclined to engage in pro-environmental behaviour when they saw less economic gain in those behaviours. Both groups were also motivated by a perceived moral responsibility and by a high self-assessed awareness of one's electricity consumption and saving possibilities. Consumers and prosumers, however, differed in the degree to which they were compelled by these reasons: prosumers had higher confidence that pro-environmental behaviours would benefit the environment, improve their comfort and life-quality, they felt more moral responsibility to perform such behaviours and assessed their electricity awareness as higher. This study confirms and identifies systematic differences between consumers and prosumers in their pro-environmental intentions and motivations, and the differences are discussed in terms of initial self-selection and possible spill-over effects.
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| 21. |
- Stikvoort, Britt, et al.
(författare)
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Good things come in small packages : is there a common set of motivators for energy behaviour?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Energy Efficiency. - Netherlands : Springer. - 1570-646X .- 1570-6478. ; 11:7, s. 1599-1615
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Household energy consumption can be curbed by individuals’ energy saving, yet despite many efforts, our energy consumption is not lowering. This study investigated the role of a common set of behavioural determinants for households’ intention to perform four energy-related behaviours: investing in PV cells, turning off apparatus on standby mode, showering less, and replacing old home appliances with new energy-efficient ones. Behavioural determinants—energy awareness, general energy knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and moral norms—were assessed in a survey (N = 83) among Swedish residents. Energy awareness was moderately correlated with energy knowledge, but not with respondents’ intentions to perform the behaviours, except for replacing home appliances. Moral norms were judged by respondents as important motivators and were a strong predictor to behavioural intentions to perform all four behaviours. Attitudes likewise were assessed as important motivators and were important predictors to all behavioural intentions except investing in PV cells, which was instead predicted by perceived behavioural control. Respondents’ assessment of beliefs underlying attitudes also differed for investing in PV cells; namely, beliefs about economic benefits were lower. Moreover, respondents felt less morally responsible for investing in PV cells. Concluding, we found no evidence that intentions to engage in four energy-saving behaviours are mediated by general energy knowledge or energy awareness. Determinants to each behaviour differed, where—surprisingly—investment in PV cells stood out as less motivated both by economic incentives and moral concerns, although moral norms were shared motivators across all four behaviours. We discuss different possible interpretations of these findings.
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| 22. |
- Stikvoort, Britt, et al.
(författare)
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Serving two masters : How dual price signals can undermine demand flexibility
- 2024
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Ingår i: Energy Policy. - : Elsevier. - 0301-4215 .- 1873-6777. ; 185
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Demand-side flexibility is often encouraged via demand response programs, where users are incentivized to adjust their electricity consumption based on price signals in tariffs. The design and implementation of these signals are vital, as they link conditions of the energy system with user behaviour. As a result of energy system separation into stages of generation, many users are required to simultaneously respond to two price signals. While existing research has mainly examined responses to a single signal, this study highlights the complexities when users must react to two signals simultaneously. It presents a case study using two distinct price signals: real-time pricing (RTP) and a demand charge, analysing the implications such dual price signals could have on users. The study reveals the empirical incompatibility of these signals, leading to conflicting user goals. Such interference complicates decision-making for demand flexibility, potentially eroding user trust in retailers and system operators. The study ends with proposing an alternative tariff, resolving the dual price situation, which facilitates user comprehension and decision-making, and thus enhances the potential for demand flexibility.
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| 23. |
- Stikvoort, Britt, 1989-
(författare)
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Why act sustainable? : Exploring what can be learnt from different approaches to motivations for pro-environmental behaviour
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To combat anthropogenic climate change, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced. Though one person’s actions cannot turn the tide, so to say, the combined effort of many individuals can. To this end, numerous studies have investigated theoretically supported motivations – for example financial, environmental, hedonistic, moral, or normative motivations – underlying pro-environmental behaviours. To understand the causal relationship between these motivations and behaviours, studies tend to look at how such variables are associated across individuals. In observational studies, it is not easy to infer whether associations indicate a causal process or emerge from confounding pathways. This implies that positive associations between motivations and behaviour in an observational study do not necessarily imply that increasing individuals’ motivations will increase pro-environmental behaviour.This thesis presents and discusses studies that investigated associations between motivations and intentions to engage in pro-environmental behaviour using two different research designs – observational and experimental – and by looking at inter- and intraindividual variation in observational data. Papers I-III reveal that in data from observational designs, associations between motivations and intentions differ contingent on whether one uses an inter- or intraindividual approach to variation. Concretely, while financial and normative motivations were not predictive of variation in intentions between individuals, they were predictive of variation in intentions within individuals. That is, those with stronger financial and normative motivations compared to others did not have stronger intentions, per se, yet, when an individual reported a stronger financial or normative motivation for a specific behaviour compared to other behaviours, they tended to have stronger intentions towards the behaviour. In Paper III, an experimental manipulation that raised environmental motivations was not found to raise intentions. Overall, when associations are investigated in a way that is more closely aligned with the theoretically proposed mechanism (i.e., causal processes occurring within individuals), there seems more support for the motivational hypotheses predicted by theories.
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| 24. |
- van Zoest, Vera, et al.
(författare)
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Demand charges and user flexibility : Exploring differences in electricity consumer types and load patterns within the Swedish commercial sector
- 2021
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Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 302
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Demand-based charges have been employed as a tool intended to reduce electricity users’ maximum demand but there is a lack of consensus regarding their efficacy. One reason for this may be the diversity in the flexibility potential of different types of users. This study explores the flexibility potential of different types of electricity consumers in the small to medium-sized commercial sector (35-63A) in response to a compulsory demand charge. The objective is to characterize varying levels of flexibility with respect to different types of commercial users with different load patterns. A multivariate clustering technique was used to group commercial users with comparable load patterns based on a year of hourly data before the tariff change was introduced. This method was used to: (1) match users from the intervention area and reference area with similar load patterns, without losing any user data, and (2) compare how users with different load patterns react differently to the tariff change. We found clear distinctions in the types of commercial users in each cluster and their response to the tariff, demonstrating the extent to which demand flexibility may be dependent on the nature of an organization’s activities and its respective load patterns. The highest demand flexibility was found in clusters which had a large share of users in the IT sector, commerce and public administration. The lowest demand flexibility was found in the real estate and education sectors. Future research should further investigate these variations and explore the possibilities of tailoring interventions to the specific types of users.
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| 25. |
- van Zoest, Vera, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on electricity consumption patterns in the residential, public, commercial and industrial sectors in Sweden
- 2023
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Ingår i: Energy and AI. - : Elsevier. - 2666-5468. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had drastic effects on societies around the world. Due to restrictions or recommendations, companies, industries and residents experienced changes in their routines and many people shifted to working from home. This led to alterations in electricity consumption between sectors and changes in daily patterns. Understanding how various properties and features of load patterns in the electricity network were affected is important for forecasting the network's ability to respond to sudden changes and shocks, and helping system operators improve network management and operation. In this study, we quantify the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has led to shifts in the electricity consumption patterns of different sectors in Sweden. The results show that working from home during the pandemic has led to an increase in the residential sector's total consumption and changes in its consumption patterns, whereas there were only slight decreases in the industrial sector and relatively few changes in the public and commercial sectors. We discuss the reasons for these changes, the effects that these changes will have on expected future electricity consumption patterns, as well as the effects on potential demand flexibility in a future where working from home has become the new norm.
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| 26. |
- van Zoest, Vera, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Spatio-temporal modelling of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on electricity consumption patterns in Stockholm, Sweden
- 2024
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Ingår i: Science Talks. - : Elsevier. - 2772-5693. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had drastic effects on the way we live. With the sudden shift to the home office, a shift in electricity consumption has also taken place between the residential, public, industrial and commercial sectors. Understanding these changes is crucial for a sustainable energy transition, as these changes affect the load and flexibility to adapt. In this study, we quantify the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has led to shifts in the electricity consumption patterns. Based on data from around 10,000 smart electricity meters in Stockholm, Sweden, we built a spatio-temporal multivariate regression model at postal code level to predict what the total electricity consumption during the pandemic would have looked like if there were no pandemic, allowing for quantification of the effect of the pandemic as the difference between the predicted and actual consumption, adjusted for differences in temperature. Results of 10-fold cross-validation showed good accuracy with a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of around 5%, with slight variations for season and consumer sectors. The prediction maps allow us to find clusters where electricity consumption changes are highest, showing where changes in the local electricity infrastructure may be needed in the future.
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| 27. |
- Öhrlund, Isak, et al.
(författare)
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Convenience before coins : Household responses to dual dynamic price signals and energy feedback in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 52, s. 236-246
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To enable and cope with an increase of intermittent electricity generation, the power industry and regulators are trying to incentivise users to use electricity at certain times through dynamic pricing and feedback. The effects of such interventions on patterns of electricity use have been extensively studied, yet little is known about how and why householders do or do not respond to such interventions. Using interviews and activity-based diaries, this study provides a qualitative exploration of how and why householders who are subject to a demand-based time-of-use distribution tariff, real-time retail pricing and real-time feedback, do or do not respond to such interventions in their daily lives. We find that the householders have adapted a range of existing practices and have started to engage in new ones that aim to reduce peak demand during peak hours, partly without the support of feedback. Drawing on theories of practice, we challenge common preconceptions about how and why price signals work by demonstrating how the size of the financial incentive that a price signal provides does not have that much influence on householders’ willingness to engage in demand response. We argue that price signals work by providing new meanings to practices that use electricity, that feedback can mediate these meanings, and that what matters for householders’ willingness to engage in demand response is that the changes they undertake do not cause them any inconvenience by limiting the temporal flexibility of other doings in their daily lives.
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| 28. |
- Öhrlund, Isak, 1988-
(författare)
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Demand Side Response : Exploring How and Why Users Respond to Signals Aimed at Incentivizing a Shift of Electricity Use in Time
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- With increased weather-dependent electricity production and electrification at the heart of the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels, peaks in electricity demand are set to increase and become increasingly difficult to meet, which threatens the functioning of the electric power systems that our society depends on. Time-varying electricity rates, which aim to incentivize electricity users to shift their electricity use in time, have been proposed as a key instrument in alleviating grid imbalances and bottlenecks. Previous research has found that users respond to such rates by shifting their electricity use in time, but there is great variability in the observed response between studies that remains unexplained. In other words, it is unclear how and why users respond to time-varying rates, and thus how these so called demand side response policies should be designed to provide the best results.This thesis aims to improve our understanding of how and why (not) time-varying rates work by exploring how users respond to both price and non-price signals that aim to incentivize a shift of electricity use in time, and what motivates, discourages, enables and hinders them to respond. This is done through four separate studies that are carried out in contexts where users have been involuntarily subjected to interventions that aim to incentivize demand side response. Using several novel methods, research designs and understudied empirical contexts, the studies also illustrate how biases that are commonly observed in the literature can be avoided and how intervention effects that often remain overlooked can be captured.The results suggest that users may hold different motives to respond to signals that aim to incentivize a shift of electricity use in time, including non-financial motives such as a care for the environment and a will to meet the expectations of others. The rhythms and schedules of people’s everyday lives are identified as the most important hindrances for people to engage in demand side response. Notably, there is no evident relationship between how much money users may save by responding to a signal and their actual response. Many users do hold expectations of saving money and claim to engage in demand side response as a result of those expectations, but the fact that users are rarely (if ever) informed of whether their expectations are met or not suggests that many users may actually be willing to engage in demand side response with little or no financial reward. However, there is a risk that users who expect to save money may refrain from or stop engaging in demand side response if their expectations are not met, which poses a potential threat to the long-run effectiveness of conventional price-based demand response programs. There is also a risk that users who primarily hold non-financial motives may be discouraged to engage in demand side response if monetary savings is the key selling point of demand response programs. Policymakers, professionals and researchers should explore these risks and alternative policies that address them, particularly policies that may be more appealing to users that hold non-financial motives to engage in demand side response. Doing so will be key to ensure that current and future demand side response policies are cost-efficient and effective, both today and tomorrow.
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| 29. |
- Öhrlund, Isak, et al.
(författare)
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Identifying and estimating the effects of a mandatory billing demand charge
- 2019
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Ingår i: Applied Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-2619 .- 1872-9118. ; 237, s. 885-895
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As peak demand for electricity continues to rise, distributors have begun charging small and medium-sized users for their short term demand rather than just their energy use. This is not only to meet the political aspirations for increased demand-side flexibility that now exist in many corners of the world, but to make sure that users are charged for the costs they incur. As it is only until recently that this type of users have come to face demand charges, there are however very few studies on what the actual effects of such pricing policies are, and those studies that do exist suffer from different methodological shortcomings that reduce their validity as a basis for real-world policy evaluations. This study provides the first state-of-the-art causal analysis of the demand response effects of a billing demand charge involuntarily introduced to small and medium sized users (35–63 A), using novel two-level time series models on retrospective observational consumption and survey data. Our analyses suggest that the tariff has induced an average response of −0.32 kWh/h per user over a two year long posttreatment period in comparison to a matched control group, equal to 7.4% of their hourly average use during the pretreatment period. The response seems to have increased over time and to be greater during wintertime: around −0.70 kWh/h or 16.2% of the treated users’ average hourly use during the pretreatment period. Comparing the individual users’ response to the size of their financial incentive to respond given the new tariff as well as their self-reported perception of the relative importance of electricity expenditures, we did not find any support for the common assumption that users with a higher financial incentive to respond do so to a greater extent. This might suggest that small and medium-sized commercial users, just as residential users, may exhibit non-financial drivers and barriers for engaging in demand response that may be vital to understand as policy makers and industry continue to seek increased demand-side flexibility.
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| 30. |
- Öhrlund, Isak, et al.
(författare)
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Rising with the sun? : Encouraging solar electricity self-consumption among apartment owners in Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 64
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studies suggest that householders who turn prosumers become more energy aware, change their pattern of electricity use and may even start to engage in other pro-environmental activities. However, few of these studies were equipped to investigate such causal relationships—mainly because most prosumers are inherently self-selected. However, as real estate companies and building owners have begun installing photovoltaics on their customers’ behalf, a new breed of non-self-selected prosumers is emerging, which presents new opportunities to address questions of causality and thus improve our understanding of the possible implications of a more prosumer-dense future. Using a sample of 54 apartment households with a shared rooftop PV installation, this article presents the first causal analysis on non-self-selected prosumers’ response to information about having become prosumers, what that means for themselves and the collective they are part of, how to self-consume solar electricity and why they should do so. Using a stepped wedge design and stratified randomization procedure we were able to design an experimental study with sufficient power. A panel regression model and various statistical analyses on pre and post treatment survey- and electricity use data were used to evaluate the intervention. In line with studies of self-selected prosumers, the self-reported measures suggest that householders have shifted the use of major appliances to increase their self-consumption. However, based on the electricity use data, we find no evidence of a such a shift and no indications of spillovers to other pro-environmental behaviours—highlighting the need to use multiple measures to assess behavioural change.
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