Energy as a commons?
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| “ | Energy as a commons? With paradigms new markets and opportunities arising with digitalising in the energy sector and democratising means of production and distribution, how can regulation be designed in such a way that energy systems these markets are equitable and ensure participation across society? | ” |
Contents
The Past: Distributing energy the traditional way
- The traditional power grid
- production - transmission - distribution - consumer
- Electricity takes over other forms of energy (electric cars etc.)
- Russia-EU relations etc. increase uncertainty
- Current European Energy facilities will have to be modernised soon
- Energy trading taking over
- More and more people are installing solar panels on their own
The Future: Smart grids - an outlook to what is possible
The economic dimension
- more efficiency through smart grids
- flexibility through information of residential energy use
- intelligent and flexible grids instead of linear distribution
The societal dimension
- consumers become co-producers
- "energy literacy" goes up
- decentralisation through empowerment of citizens
The technological dimension
- both electricity and information are exchanged
- ensuring interoperability in smart power grids
- reporting energy usage to increase efficiency
The environmental dimension
- pushing decarbonisation
- Consumers more likely to install renewable sources of energy (e.g. solar panels)
- consumers have a greater influence on the amount of renewable energy used in Europe
The Present: Obstacles to be addressed
The economic dimension
- most systems still centralised
- little investments into smart grid projects
- energy market rules need to be newly defined
- the roles of Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Transmission System Operators (TSOs) need to be alternated and defined
- energy markets are often unpredictable
- how can affordable energy prices for consumers be ensured?
- only large infrastructure programmes are funded at the moment
The societal dimension
- Energy illiteracy: In the current system, the user is a passive consumer, always dependent on utility companies, ignorant of how the energy system works
- currently costs outweigh benefits
- liberalisation of the energy market still ongoing
- will things be regulated on a national or transnational (European) level? (see energy meters)
- how are consumers motivated to become co-producers of energy?
- how is knowledge about grid possibilities spread to citizens?
- how can the public be involved in large-scale projects?
The technological dimension
- data protection: new risks for consumers as energy usage data is recorded
- security: grid system open to cyber attacks that could disable areas of the grid?
- reliability: is the grid going to be reliable at all times?
- data storage: huge sums of data will be recorded
- are microgrids a possibility?
The environmental dimension
- do renewable means of energy really push smart grids?
The Actors: Who is involved
- EU Commission & DG on Energy
- Member States’ energy ministries and distribution systems
- Connecting Europe Facility
- EU citizens as “prosumers”
Measures in Place: What has been done
What are sources of knowledge EU citizens to look into at the moment? What are microgrids and how do they work?
Clean Energy Package
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-3986_en.htm http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-3961_en.htm https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/energy-union-and-climate_en
SET-Plan
The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) aims to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies. It seeks to improve new technologies and bring down costs by coordinating national research efforts and helping to finance projects.
TEN-E
The Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) – are programmes set up by the EU for the implementation of the European Single Market. The Trans-European Networks aim at "linking island, landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the community”.
A final outlook
Links for further Research
- https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/energy-as-a-common-good/2017/02/22
- http://energyandcarbon.com/digitalisation-energy-implications/
