Hat-trick of grants for researching smart electricity grids
The Uppsala Smart Energy Research group (USER) has been granted funding by the Swedish Energy Agency for three different collaborative projects in the field of demand response.
USER’s head of research Cajsa Bartusch, associate professor and researcher at the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, has had three grants in the field of smart electricity grids approved by the Swedish Energy Agency. USER is an interdisciplinary research group primarily focused on user behaviour and the sociotechnical aspects of:
- demand response
- decentralised production
- storage
- electric vehicles and related products and services.
Demand response allows grids to avoid peaks in demand by using incentives or automated controls to transfer electricity consumption from peak times. USER’s aim is to increase the general level of knowledge regarding the role of consumers and prosumers in realising the vision of tomorrow’s smart electricity grids.
Interdisciplinary research with the focus on users
The majority of Sweden’s research into smart electricity grids is focused on technological development. It is much rarer to find research initiatives studying the implementation and use of these technologies.
–The fact that these grants relate to projects with a distinct user perspective is in itself recognition for USER! It is indicative of both the need for sociotechnical and interdisciplinary research in the field of smart electricity grids and a willingness to promote interdisciplinarity and collaboration with society at large as part of the transition to a sustainable energy system, says Cajsa Bartusch.
Sara Helperin