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Sustainable digitalisation in the smart grid – starting points, expression and effect

With a focus on different starting points, expression and effects of digitization in the smart grid, we focus on a number of contemporary applications and phenomena. We are interested in both development processes and use in our study and have a practical and theoretical ambition in our work.

Smart in smart grids is not infrequently formulated in various terms of sustainability, and also increasingly in the form of digitized components and services. The meaning of smart grids needs to be discussed in different dimensions, which is done in the research program as a whole, for example in what respects are they smart and for whom or which? It is also important to identify the underlying stakeholder, incentives and the emergence of new business models. The development of various technologies and services must also be analyzed in terms of driving forces, benefits and behavioral changes at the individual, organizational and societal level.

This project focuses on the starting points, expression and effect of digitization as an important part of the smart in smart grids. Various components and services in the networks are expected to be smart or at least contribute to smart actions by human actors. These boundaries are interesting in themselves to investigate further and not least to put in different contexts.

Publications

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Malin Granath, Johanna Sefyrin, Björn Johansson (2023)
The smart meter as a boundary object-insights from an empirical case

European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) 2023

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Amirhossein Gharaie, Björn Johansson (2023)
Exploring the role of aggregators in the ecosystem of energy flexibility

Joint Proceedings of the BIR 2023 Workshops and Doctoral Consortiumco-located with 22nd International Conference on Perspectives in Business Informatics Research (BIR 2023)

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Björn Johansson, Malin Granath, Ulf Melin (2022)
SMART METERS AND DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT IN SMART GRIDS - EXPLORING CHALLENGES AND OUTLINING FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

ECIS 2022 PROCEEDINGS

Focus areas and empirical contexts

In the project there are three focus areas.

The project has a focus on different contexts:

  1. Investigate different starting points for digitization in electric grids (business, technical, societal, etc.) among different actors / stakeholders.
  2. Analyze various contemporary technical and organizational expressions of the digital smart in smart grids (eg sensors, meters, apps, web, etc. in the context of electric car charging, solar cells and more)
  3. Study the effects of the digital smart in smart grids in terms, for example, of (for individual, organization, technology and society in terms of different values [time, environment, commitment, money, etc.])

In the spring of 2020, the current project was started and in addition to studies of previous research and literature in the field, empirical contexts are studied to capture points of departure, expressions and effects of the smart digital in electric grids. 

The context, which is partly populated by the many people, is living in the following form om housing:

  1. Tenancy
  2. Condominium
  3. Ownership

Furthermore, grid owners, electricity suppliers, third-party developers and housing companies where empirical studies are ongoing in the project are also included. It is important in our study that the context can be in both urban and rural areas and apply to several different perspectives.

Contact us

Photo of Ulf Melin

Ulf Melin

Professor
  • Linköping University, Department of Management and Engineering (IEI)
Photo of Björn Johansson

Björn Johansson

Senior Associate Professor
Photo of Shashini Rajaguru

Shashini Rajaguru

PhD student
Photo of Gianluigi Viscusi

Gianluigi Viscusi

Associate Professor
Photo of Johanna Sefyrin

Johanna Sefyrin

Associate Professor, Head of Division

Research areas

Woman sitting on a couch holding a Smart Energy Controller

The role of the households in the smart grids

The energy system is dominated by large, well established companies with centralized and high tech production. The transition to an energy efficient and low fossil economy requires a more decentralized and open system involving society as a whole.
A boy picks up his glasses and next to him is a cartoon light bulb

The new actors in the smart grids

Several actors are important for how electric grids look today and will look in the future. These grids are in constant transformation and the future is likely to continue to lead to new forms of cooperation and exchange between a number of actors.
Residential Building

Design methodology – a user-focused perspective on smart grids

This area includes projects that explore methodology for understanding, developing and introducing smart grids in homes. The projects will include participation from different types of user groups with their interests and in their real environment.

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