The role of households in the smart grid: A comparative study

摘要

The electricity system is currently facing great changes due toa number of challenges, including the need to mitigate climatechange and replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.This calls for new solutions at all levels of the electricity system.Households are assigned a key role in these changes bysystem developers, researchers and policy makers, e.g. by realisingelectricity savings or providing a more “flexible” electricityconsumption (also called “load management”) in order tooptimise the electricity system and balance consumptionwithfluctuating electricity generation from e.g. wind power. Thus,development of the so-called “smart grid” is an example of howthe changes of a large technological system are affecting all elementsof the system.On the basis of a comparative study of Norway, Spain andDenmark, this paper analyses differences and similaritiesbetween these countries in relation to the current electricitysystem, energy policy plans, smart grid research and demonstrationactivities. The aim of this is to explore how countryspecificfactors influence the conceptualisation of households’role in the future smart grid. The analysis focuses on how, forexample, differences in national plans for future changes onthe electricity production side (like integrating more windpower, hydropower etc.) influence smart grid strategies andunderstandings of the households’ role in the future electricitysystem. Furthermore, the paper discusses the main challengesand limitations of the present approach to the integration ofhouseholds in a future smart grid; particularly the importanceof understanding the interaction between smart grid technologiesand everyday practices. This part draws on practice theory.