Smart Metering with Smartphones: User-Centered Design of a Mobile Application in the Context of Energy Efficiency

摘要

The energy sector is currently confronted with huge challenges and undergoing massive transformation due to the integration of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy. Two way communication and computer processing technology can now be integrated into electricity distribution systems creating smart grids. These smart grids can be connected to households by smart meters and smart home infrastructures. Customers can use this infrastructure to identify how much energy they consume at any time and to optimize their consumption patterns. This paper analyses the expectations and preferences of digital natives on the deployment of smartphones and mobile applications as a human-computer interface to smart meter and smart home infrastructures. A user-centered design approach was chosen to identify relevant features and to define a prototype for such a smart metering application.