MK:Smart Ph.D. student, Jacky Bourgeois, presented a paper on energy demand shifting at the second International ICT for Sustainability Conference in Stockholm.
The paper entitled “Using participatory data analysis to understand social constraints and opportunities of electricity demand-shifting” reports results from an empirical study of demand shifting in households with solar PVs – power systems supplying solar power.
The paper describes a novel approach to “interactive demand-shifting” – a particular form of behaviour change where electricity consumption is shifted towards times of the day when production is at its highest.
The six months study combined electricity data from smart meters and smart plugs with in-depth interviews to explore opportunities to automate electricity demand-shifting and maximise self-consumption of micro-generated electricity. The study was conducted in close collaboration with energy provider E.On who provided equipment, logistical support and access to households.
The paper can be downloaded here.
Watch our video on energy systems for smart cities to find out how people can improve the efficiency of their domestic energy use.