Prosuming Energy – User Innovation and New Energy Communities in Renewable Micro-Generation

Jouni K. Juntunen

Prosuming Energy – User Innovation and New Energy Communities in Renewable Micro-Generation

Julkaisun otsikon käännös: Kuluttajat tuottajina – Käyttäjäinnovointi ja uudet energiayhteisöt uusiutuvan energian pientuotannossa

Jouni K. Juntunen

Johtamisen laitos

Tutkimustuotos: Doctoral Thesis › Collection of Articles

Abstrakti

Loppukäyttäjien rooli energiamarkkinoilla on muuttunut passiivisesta kuluttajasta aktiiviseksi energian yhteistuottajaksi. Muutoksen taustalla ovat energian pientuotantoteknologiat, jotka muuttavat kotitalouksien roolia energiajärjestelmässä. Tässä väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan energian tuottaja-kuluttajien ja pientuotantoteknologioiden välistä aktiivista vuorovaikutusta sekä järjestelmien ympärille rakentuneita uudenlaisia yhteistyömuotoja. Työ perustuu ja kontribuoi energian kulutusta, teknologian sosiaalista rakentumista ja käyttäjäinnovaatioita koskevaan tutkimukseen. Sen aineisto muodostuu 52 haastattelusta ja suomalaisilla käyttäjäfoorumeilla vuosina 2011–2012 toteutetusta etnografiasta. Tutkimus pyrkii selvittämään, millaisia uudenlaisia aktiivisen käyttäjyyden muotoja uusiutuvan energian pientuotanto synnyttää. Tutkimus osoittaa, että kotitalouksien energiajärjestelmät rakentuvat evolutionaarisesti: luottamus uusiin pientuotantoteknologioihin kasvaa vähitellen ja tuotantokapasiteettia kasvatetaan luottamuksen vahvistuessa. Uudet pientuotantoteknologiat tulevat usein lisälähteiksi vanhojen rinnalle, ja yhden uusiutuvan energiantuotantoteknologian käyttö johtaa helposti muiden uusiutuvien energialähteiden käyttöönottoon. Kyseistä ilmiötä voidaan kutsua kotouttamispoluksi. Tutkimus valottaa lisäksi uudenlaisten energiayhteisöjen syntymistä käyttäjätukea tarjoavien internetin keskusteluryhmien pohjalta. Perinteisesti paikallisena pidetty yhteisöenergia voi ottaa hajautetun, virtuaalisen toimintamuodon. Yhteisöt tukevat pientuotantoteknologian kotouttamista ja käyttäjien innovatiivisia projekteja, jotka vaihtelevat tee-se-itse-kopioinnista täysin uusiin keksintöihin. Tässä tutkimuksessa tunnistettiin 192 keksintöä tai muutosta, jotka joko paransivat pientuotantoteknologian järjestelmien tuottavuutta, sopivuutta, käytettävyyttä tai huollettavuutta tai alensivat niiden kustannuksia. Kestävän kehityksen tukemisen ja uusiutuvan energian käytön lisäämisen kannalta on olennaista ottaa huomioon joustava sopeutuminen muutoksiin kotitalouksien energiajärjestelmissä. Energiapoliittisten säännösten avulla tulisi tukea järjestelmien riippuvuussuhteiden avaamista ja sellaisten järjestelmien käyttöä, jotka hyödyntävät useita uusiutuvia energialähteitä. Energiajärjestelmien valmistajille tämä tarkoittaa modulaarisuuden ja monikäyttöisyyden merkityksen kasvamista energian pientuotantoteknologioiden kehittämisessä.

Julkaisun otsikon käännös	Kuluttajat tuottajina – Käyttäjäinnovointi ja uudet energiayhteisöt uusiutuvan energian pientuotannossa
Alkuperäiskieli	Englanti
Pätevyys	Tohtorintutkinto
Myöntävä instituutio	Aalto-yliopisto
Valvoja/neuvonantaja	Hyysalo, Sampsa, Vastuuprofessori Lovio, Raimo, Ohjaaja Jalas, Mikko, Ohjaaja
Kustantaja	Aalto University
Painoksen ISBN	978-952-60-5866-5
Sähköinen ISBN	978-952-60-5867-2
Tila	Julkaistu - 2014
OKM-julkaisutyyppi	G5 Artikkeliväitöskirja

Tutkimusalat

käyttäjäinnovaatio
teknologian kotouttaminen
energian pientuotanto
uusiutuva energia

YK:n kestävän kehityksen tavoitteet

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http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-60-5867-2Lisenssi: Määrittelemätön

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@phdthesis{ad1a381cd9984abc867682d7a34bbd77,

title = "Prosuming Energy – User Innovation and New Energy Communities in Renewable Micro-Generation",

abstract = "In the energy sector, the end-user role is changing from passive consumer to active co-provider with decentralized technologies. This enables new forms of collaboration and active engagement with technology. This thesis examines energy prosumers' active engagement with renewable micro-generation technologies and draws from and contributes primarily to research on energy consumption, social shaping of technology, and user innovation research. Based on 52 interviews and ethnography on large Finnish online forums conducted during years 2011-2012, this study addresses the following question: What kind of forms of active energy usership emerge with renewable micro-generation? The key findings demonstrate how homeowners have an evolutionary approach in building and configuring residential energy systems. The trust in new small-scale renewable energy technologies is built gradually and capacity is scaled up along with accumulating trust. New micro-generation technologies tend to become supporting sources besides existing technology and the use of one renewable technology easily leads to the use of other renewable sources later on. The concept of 'domestication pathways' describes this phenomenon. Furthermore, the findings reveal the emergence of new types of energy communities. Traditionally, community energy has been seen as local activity. However, user-run online forums play key role by providing advanced peer support and demonstrate how community energy can take highly dispersed structure and virtual form. These Internet communities support both domestication of micro-generation technology and creative user projects, which range from do-it-yourself copy systems to new inventions spreading out in various ways. The study charted user inventions in heat pump and wood pellet burning systems and found 192 inventions or modifications that improved either efficiency, suitability, usability, maintenance, or price of the micro-generation systems. The gradual development of domestic energy systems should be recognized in energy policy. Flexibility to adapt to changes is an important factor and it fosters sustainable development pathways for housing energy systems and proliferation of renewable energy generation in households. Regulatory actions can open the existing lock-ins and support hybridization of the systems and the use of various renewable energy sources. Consequently, for the manufacturers hybridization points towards increased importance of modularity and multi-purposing of micro-generation products.",

keywords = "user innovation, technology domestication, micro-generation, renewable energy, k{\"a}ytt{\"a}j{\"a}innovaatio, teknologian kotouttaminen, energian pientuotanto, uusiutuva energia, user innovation, technology domestication, micro-generation, renewable energy",

author = "Juntunen, {Jouni K.}",

year = "2014",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-952-60-5866-5",

series = "Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS",

publisher = "Aalto University",

number = "142",

address = "Finland",

school = "Aalto University",

}

TY - BOOK

T1 - Prosuming Energy – User Innovation and New Energy Communities in Renewable Micro-Generation

AU - Juntunen, Jouni K.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - In the energy sector, the end-user role is changing from passive consumer to active co-provider with decentralized technologies. This enables new forms of collaboration and active engagement with technology. This thesis examines energy prosumers' active engagement with renewable micro-generation technologies and draws from and contributes primarily to research on energy consumption, social shaping of technology, and user innovation research. Based on 52 interviews and ethnography on large Finnish online forums conducted during years 2011-2012, this study addresses the following question: What kind of forms of active energy usership emerge with renewable micro-generation? The key findings demonstrate how homeowners have an evolutionary approach in building and configuring residential energy systems. The trust in new small-scale renewable energy technologies is built gradually and capacity is scaled up along with accumulating trust. New micro-generation technologies tend to become supporting sources besides existing technology and the use of one renewable technology easily leads to the use of other renewable sources later on. The concept of 'domestication pathways' describes this phenomenon. Furthermore, the findings reveal the emergence of new types of energy communities. Traditionally, community energy has been seen as local activity. However, user-run online forums play key role by providing advanced peer support and demonstrate how community energy can take highly dispersed structure and virtual form. These Internet communities support both domestication of micro-generation technology and creative user projects, which range from do-it-yourself copy systems to new inventions spreading out in various ways. The study charted user inventions in heat pump and wood pellet burning systems and found 192 inventions or modifications that improved either efficiency, suitability, usability, maintenance, or price of the micro-generation systems. The gradual development of domestic energy systems should be recognized in energy policy. Flexibility to adapt to changes is an important factor and it fosters sustainable development pathways for housing energy systems and proliferation of renewable energy generation in households. Regulatory actions can open the existing lock-ins and support hybridization of the systems and the use of various renewable energy sources. Consequently, for the manufacturers hybridization points towards increased importance of modularity and multi-purposing of micro-generation products.

AB - In the energy sector, the end-user role is changing from passive consumer to active co-provider with decentralized technologies. This enables new forms of collaboration and active engagement with technology. This thesis examines energy prosumers' active engagement with renewable micro-generation technologies and draws from and contributes primarily to research on energy consumption, social shaping of technology, and user innovation research. Based on 52 interviews and ethnography on large Finnish online forums conducted during years 2011-2012, this study addresses the following question: What kind of forms of active energy usership emerge with renewable micro-generation? The key findings demonstrate how homeowners have an evolutionary approach in building and configuring residential energy systems. The trust in new small-scale renewable energy technologies is built gradually and capacity is scaled up along with accumulating trust. New micro-generation technologies tend to become supporting sources besides existing technology and the use of one renewable technology easily leads to the use of other renewable sources later on. The concept of 'domestication pathways' describes this phenomenon. Furthermore, the findings reveal the emergence of new types of energy communities. Traditionally, community energy has been seen as local activity. However, user-run online forums play key role by providing advanced peer support and demonstrate how community energy can take highly dispersed structure and virtual form. These Internet communities support both domestication of micro-generation technology and creative user projects, which range from do-it-yourself copy systems to new inventions spreading out in various ways. The study charted user inventions in heat pump and wood pellet burning systems and found 192 inventions or modifications that improved either efficiency, suitability, usability, maintenance, or price of the micro-generation systems. The gradual development of domestic energy systems should be recognized in energy policy. Flexibility to adapt to changes is an important factor and it fosters sustainable development pathways for housing energy systems and proliferation of renewable energy generation in households. Regulatory actions can open the existing lock-ins and support hybridization of the systems and the use of various renewable energy sources. Consequently, for the manufacturers hybridization points towards increased importance of modularity and multi-purposing of micro-generation products.

KW - user innovation

KW - technology domestication

KW - micro-generation

KW - renewable energy

KW - käyttäjäinnovaatio

KW - teknologian kotouttaminen

KW - energian pientuotanto

KW - uusiutuva energia

KW - user innovation

KW - technology domestication

KW - micro-generation

KW - renewable energy

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

SN - 978-952-60-5866-5

T3 - Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS

PB - Aalto University

ER -

Prosuming Energy – User Innovation and New Energy Communities in Renewable Micro-Generation

Abstrakti

Tutkimusalat

YK:n kestävän kehityksen tavoitteet

Pääsy asiakirjaan

Sormenjälki

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