Projects
Energy Communities - A common cause? Households' roles in energy sharing and cooperating in energy communities
2022-2024
Project leader: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH
Funded by: Energimyndigheten (Energieffektivt byggande och boende - E2B2)
Project summary:
The project is motivated by the transition to a sustainable energy system and the important role played by households in this transition, with a special focus on energy communities (ECs). At least two case studies are carried out –one where the initiative is political and one where the initiative has arisen from citizens. The former is created with existing properties, while the latter is in the planning phase. An overall issue concerns households' relations to storage, sharing, use and production of energy. Another question concerns stakeholders' expectations of households as participants in the EC and how these expectations can be compared with households' experience the EC's impact on everyday practices. We interview various stakeholders and households and carry out focus group discussions with households from the target group for the planned housing area. The results are expected to be used by the energy and housing industry and by service developers.
Project team: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH (research leader), Björn Hedin, KTH (researcher), Sofie Nyström, KTH (PhD candidate), Arjun Menon, KTH (PhD candidate), Joe Llewellyn, KTH (PhD candidate)
In Swedish
Energigemenskap - En gemensam sak? Hushållens roll i delande av energi och samverkan i energigemenskaper
Projektledare: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH
Finansierat av Energimyndigheten (Energieffektivt byggande och boende - E2B2) och Familjen Kamprads Stiftelse
Sammanfattning:
Projektet motiveras av omställningen till ett hållbart energisystem och den ökande betydelsen av hushållens roll i omställningen. Syftet är att analysera hushållens roll i energigemenskaper (EGs). Två fallstudier görs – en av EGs där initiativet är politiskt och en där initiativet har uppstått från medborgarna. Den förra skapas utifrån befintliga fastigheter medan den senare förväntas stå klar 2024. En övergripande fråga rör hushållens relation till lagring, delande, användning och produktion av energi. En annan fråga rör aktörers föreställningar om hushållen som deltagare i EGs och hur dessa föreställningar kan jämföras med hushållens upplevelser av EGs påverkan på vardagens vanor. Vi intervjuar olika aktörer och hushåll och genomför dessutom fokusgrupps- diskussioner med hushåll som tillhör målgruppen för det planerade bostadsområdet. Resultaten förväntas användas av energi- och bostadsbranschen och tjänsteutvecklare.
Projectgrupp: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH (forskningsledare), Björn Hedin, KTH (forskare), Sofie Nyström, KTH (doktorand), Arjun Menon, KTH (doktorand), Joe Llewellyn, KTH (doktorand)
Smart grid stories from the home and participation in future electricity systems
2020-2021
Project leader: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH
Funded by: Energimyndigheten (Energieffektivt byggande och boende - E2B2) and The Family Kamprad Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Research and Charity
Project summary:
The project is motivated by an ongoing transformation of the electricity system. Private households are referred to as an untapped resource for demand flexibility. The purpose is to study the introduction of the second generation of smart electricity meters and smart grid technology in housing through behavioral scientific methods, focusing on differences in households. The energy sector has historically been a technology-driven industry and in the transition to user friendly services there is a lack of knowledge between suppliers and customers. The project aims to create knowledge about how technology for smart grids should be designed and implemented to fit people's everyday lives. The empirical core is a case study of Ellevio's rollout of 10,000 new smart meters in Stockholm. Interviews and observations are made through visits to households in their homes. The results of the project are intended to be used by researchers, the energy sector, service developers and public authorities.
Project team: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH (research leader), Björn Hedin, KTH (researcher), Sofie Nyström, KTH (PhD candidate), Miriam Börjesson-Rivera, Uppsala University (researcher)
In Swedish:
Hemmens berättelse om smarta elnät och deltagande i framtidens elsystem
2019-2021
Projektledare: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH
Finansierat av Energimyndigheten (Energieffektivt byggande och boende - E2B2) och Familjen Kamprads Stiftelse
Sammanfattning:
Projektet motiveras av en pågående omställning av samhällets elsystem och utpekandet av privata hushåll som en outnyttjad resurs för mer flexibel elanvändning. Syftet är att genom beteendevetenskaplig metodik studera införandet av smarta elmätare och smart elnätsteknik i bostäder med fokus på hur olika typer av hushåll påverkas av tekniken. Energisektorn har historiskt varit en teknikdriven bransch och i omställningen till användarnära tjänster finns det ett kunskapsglapp mellan leverantörer och kunderna. Projektet avser att skapa kunskap om hur teknik för smarta elnät ska designas och implementeras för att passa in i människors vardag. Den empiriska kärnan är en fallstudie av Ellevios utrullning av 10.000 nya smarta mätare i pilotområdet Älvsjö i Stockholm. Intervjuer och observationer görs genom besök hos olika typer av hushåll i deras hem. Resultaten från projektet avses att användas av forskare, energisektorn, tjänsteutvecklare och myndigheter för att införa smarta elnät i bostäder.
Projektgrupp KTH: Cecilia Katzeff, Sofie Nyström, Björn Hedin, Miriam Börjesson-Rivera
GECKO
A Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network
2021 - 2024
Project coordinater overall project: University of Siegen, Germany
Funded by EU, Grant number 955422, Horizon2020 MSCA-ITN-2020 Innovative Training Networks programme
GECKO brings together the latest scientific advances, establishing a unique synergy between the social sciences, information sciences, and engineering. Based on a deep understanding of how people interact with technology, in their homes and outside, GECKO will develop a unique end-to-end methodology for designing ART AI that goes far beyond the state of the art. By designing AI from a user perspective, GECKO will prevent the limitation of current technologies where AI reasoning and outcomes could easily be harmful, emotionally offensive, and damaging to the wider society and economy.
Consortium: University of Siegen (Germany), University of Strathclyde (UK), University of East Anglia (UK), National Technical University of Athens (Greece), Aalborg University (Denmark), KTH (Sweden), Fraunhofer FIT (Germany), Plegma Labs (Greece)
Project team, KTH: Joe Llewellyn (PhD student), Cecilia Katzeff (primary supervisor), Daniel Pargman (co-supervisor)
HabitWise - Creating Sustainable Everyday Habits
2019-2021
Project leader: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH
Funded by: Energimyndigheten (Design för en energieffektiv vardag)
Project summary:
Consumption in Swedish households accounts for about two-thirds of Sweden's consumption-based climate emissions. Energy use and transport are included. Many people do not know how their everyday decisions affect the climate. Neither do they know how to change their habits. To increase this knowledge, tools exist which visualize households’ climate footprint – climate calculators. The effect of these could be larger if more attention were given to exploring the motivation of people to change their habits and how design may play a role in this. The aim of the project is to explore how organizations as intermediaries can support people to change their habits to become less harmful for the climate, especially regarding energy use and travel. We cooperate with the company Habits and their service with calculations of climate impact as a base. Part of the project aims to promote the commercialization of the service. The project includes two case studies of the service's use.
Project team: KTH: Cecilia Katzeff, Elina Eriksson, Ulrika Gunnarsson-Östling; SEI (Stockholm Environment Institute): Katarina Axelsson; Habits: Håkan Swan
A systematic review of scientific literature on digital behavior change interventions for more sustainable energy behavior
2019-2020
Project leader: Björn Hedin, KTH
Funded by: Formas
Project summary:
This synthesis aims at investigating the current state of research regarding digital behavior change interventions aiming to affect households' direct energy use in a more sustainable direction. The area is very relevant since digital behavior change interventions have grown very rapidly in recent years, but there has not yet been a systematic review of this kind in the energy field. The results will be useful for decision makers, interaction and intervention designers as well as for practitioners in companies, energy companies, housing companies, government agencies and other public actors, with an interest in affecting energy consumers in a more sustainable direction. We will investigate interventions directed against individuals and households, which may target 1) reduced energy consumption through changed habits, 2) reduced energy consumption through one-off activities/investments, 3) private energy production and 4) choice of energy consumption time (in relation to “smart grids”). We will investigate the energy and sustainability goals that the relevant studies have aimed at, what behavior change techniques that have been used, what digital platform has been used, and the extent to which it has achieved set goals. Furthermore, our goal is to identify areas where there is a knowledge gap, and based on the synthesis recommend what measures can be taken to turn households to more sustainable energy use.
Project team KTH: Björn Hedin, Elina Eriksson, Cecilia Katzeff, Daniel Pargman
A systematic review of the scientific literature on digital interventions for more sustainable food consumption behaviours
2018
Project leader: Björn Hedin, KTH
Funded by: Formas
Project summary:
This synthesis aims at investigating the current state of research regarding digital behavioral interventions to increase sustainability in the food sector, focusing on end consumers and large-scale food management. The area is very relevant and urgent today, since digital behavioral interventions is an area that has grown rapidly in recent years, but where no systematic research overview of this kind has yet been made in the area of sustainability. The results will be of value to decision makers, interaction- and intervention designers and practitioners in companies, government and other public sectors who have an interests in sustainability and food. We will look at end consumers (purchasing, food storage, cooking, consumption) and large-scale food management (retail, restaurant, public sector) focusing on sustainability in the form of reduced food waste, changed diets to more sustainable lifestyles and changed practices around food (transport, refrigeration, cooking, etc.). We will investigate which goals related to food and sustainability the relevant studies have addressed, what behavior change techniques are used, what kind of digital platform has been used and to what extent set goals have been achieved. Our goal is furthermore to determine where there are knowledge gaps and to recommend what measures can be taken in the area to shift towards more sustainable food consumption.
Project team KTH: Björn Hedin, Elina Eriksson, Cecilia Katzeff, Daniel Pargman
The activity based workplace - Environmental and social aspects
2018-2020
Funded by: Energimyndigheten (E2B2)
Project leader: Maria Håkansson, RISE
There is a trend towards more activity-based office workplaces in order to achieve both resource-efficient and creative work environments. Energy savings can be significant, about 90% of the total energy use. However, studies have shown that the efficiency may affect the well-being and working environment of the employees negatively. Still, the knowledge of potential synergies and trade-offs between environmental and social factors is limited. This project therefore explores how environmental and social sustainability goals can interact at the activity-based workplace. The overall objective of the project is to support the design of office environments that are not only energy and space-efficient, but also promote a good working environment and the well-being of the employees. This is done through studies of literature and two case studies, as well as by anchoring among relevant stakeholders. The results will be useful both in future research and in practice. The project is managed by RISE and funded by E2B2, the Energy Agency.
Project team: Maria Håkansson, RISE: Cecilia Katzeff, KTH; Anton Gustafsson, RISE
Delningens Potential (The Sharing Potential)
2017-2019
Project manager: Liv Fjellander, IVL
Funded by Re: Source (Vinnova, Energymyndigheten, Formas)
Project summary:
Delning är ett område som är relativt nytt och där det just nu händer mycket. Projektet kommer att utgå från tidigare utredningar och studier på området och komplettera dessa med ny kunskap om potential och påverkan på de tre dimensionerna av hållbarhet.
Projektet syftar till att undersöka tre konsumentprodukter/ tjänster där det finns stor potential för delning, ökad resurseffektivitet och minskad miljöpåverkan och för dessa ta fram kunskap om hur potentialen kan uppnås. För att mer systematiskt kunna utvärdera effekter av delning presenteras en översikt av möjlig metodik för hållbarhetsbedömning, där även rekyleffekter omfattas. Metodiken testas på de tre områdena lokaler, transporter och verktyg som alla har hög miljöpåverkan, stor potential till uppskalning och replikerbarhet. Slutligen presenteras en lista över generella faktorer som möjliggör en uppskalning av delning och positiva effekter av delning i samhället, samt mer specifika faktorer för de tre produkt/tjänstegrupperna.
Projektet kommer också lämna förslag på aktiviteter som RE:Source kan jobba vidare med.
Project team: Liv Fjellander, IVL; Cecilia Katzeff and Miriam Börjesson-Rivera, KTH; Andrius Plepys, Lund University; Steve Harris, Hanna Ljungkvist Nordin, Erika Mata, Hanna Matschke Ekholm, IVL
Rescue Food at KTH
2018
Funded by: KTH Sustainability
Project leader: Annika Carlsson-Kanyama, KTH
Projektet avser att minska matsvinnet på KTH genom att skapa förutsättningar för att mat som kan ätas, men riskerar att inte göra det, inte slängs utan äts upp. Exempel på situationer där detta kan hända är när restauranger, caféer och affärer som säljer mat på KTH inte får den såld i tid. Istället för att slänga sådan mat kan det säljas till ett reducerat pris eller skänkas bort. Ett annat exempel är när anställda på KTH beställer catering och där är en del mat inte konsumeras utan riskerar att slängas. Här kan maten ges bort i anslutning till att konferenslunchen eller middagen avslutas. Ett tredje exempel på när mat riskerar att slängas, och som involverar anställda och studenter på KTH, är om det finns mat över hemma eller i lunchrummet, som kan ätas men som man inte avser att konsumera själv. Den maten skulle delas med kollegor eller medstudenter. Vår idé baserar sig på en genomgång av litteratur om internationella exempel på hur man kan minska matsvinn (Carlsson Kanyama m.fl. 2017) och skall realiseras genom att dels utreda förutsättningarna för utveckling av en app som medger att man lägger upp information om mat som behöver räddas och som erbjuds på KTH tillsammans med information om var den finns och om det är gratis eller kostar något. Vi kommer också att ta fram en fungerande prototyp app, testa den, ge förankrade förslag om vem som skall förvalta en fullskalig app samt beskriva kostnader för att göra en fullskalig app, drifta den samt för att lansera den på KTH.
Project team: Annika Carlsson-Kanyama och Cecilia Katzeff, KTH and Jorge Zapico, Linnéuniversitetet
Smart Grids - For Whom?
Sep 2016 – 2018
Project leader: Cecilia Katzeff
Funded by: Energimyndigheten (E2B2)
The overall purpose is to synthesize knowledge to allow for different stakeholders to orient themselves in research regarding people’s behaviour in relation to smart grids and the implementation of smart grid technology in people’s homes. The vision about smart grids includes assumptions about householders’ active participation through the use of technology and load balancing their electricity use. However, there’s a lack of knowledge regarding the design and implementation of smart grids in relation to people’s everyday life. In spite of extensive research on people’s interaction with ICT, this is not applied to the area of smart grids. If the technology fails in usability, the vision of smart grids runs a risk of not being realized. The goal of the project is to make knowledge accessible for relevant target groups and to facilitate for the design the touch points between households and smart grids. Also, knowledge will be available for other researchers and for university students. The project is carried out in collaboration with RISE-Interactive and is funded by the Energy Agency, Energiforsk, Fortum, Vattenfall, SABO, Uppsala University and Skelefte Kraft
SPOC - Sustainable Practices and data in urban areas. Design and Opportunities for Change
July 2015 – 2017
The project “Sustainable Practices and data – Opportunities for change” approaches the complexity of consumption practices within urban areas. Within this area the project uses a social practice framework and explores the transformation of food consumption practices into more sustainable ones. The cornerstones of the project are 1) Food consumption 2) Social practices, 3) Actionable data and 4) Design. The major research challenges in the project are:
- What does the food cycle look like? Is it possible to map the food cycle with a focus on the supermarket and the household? What food enters the supermarket and what leaves the supermarket in the form of waste? What food enters homes and what leaves the home in the form of waste?
- How could “sustainable stores” be developed? What criteria should be used and how can a social process be designed to “lift” the least sustainable stores to the level of the most sustainable stores while simultaneously shifting the baseline upwards?
- How may the lens of social practice theory be used to identify opportunities for change in the food consumption system? Having identified opportunities of change, how may design be used as a vehicle in the process of change?
The project is part of Centre for Sustainable Communications (CESC), funded by Vinnova and industry partners. Coop and the City of Stockholm are active partners in SPOC.
Future Alley - Sustainable Lifestyles
Jun 2014 – May 2017
I initated this project together the Energy Design studio, RISE-Interactive and managed it until I left RISE ICT in March 2016. The overall purpose of this interdisciplinary project was to analyse how sustainable practices and lifestyles may emerge in retrofitted rental apartments including technology for smart grids and micro generation of solar power. The results will be able to guide the design and implementation of smart grids in retrofitted residential areas. Previous studies have mainly focused new residential areas. The project has a clear user centred approach, which will develop knowledge regarding users of technology for smart grids. As a case study the research used an apartment building on Framtidsgränd (Future Alley) in Västerås. The real estate company Bostads AB Mimer owning the apartment building and the energy company Mälarenergy are partners of the project as well as the technology developer There. The study analysed how the households related to smart grid technology and how everyday practices are formed around the use of this. The project is funded by the E2B2 programme (The Energy Agency IQ Samhällsbyggnad) and partners.
BeyondViz - Beyond visualization in the workplace. From knowledge to action
July 2015 – 2018
”BeyondViz” explores opportunities for people in office workplaces to convert feedback on electricity use into action. The main purpose is to analyse how employees and management can incorporate feedback into sustainable practices. The project aim is to identify factors governing the transition from visualization of electricity use to the employees’ lasting, energy efficient practices. The integration of electricity feedback into sustainable practices is studied by an interdisciplinary approach. The study is expected to yield increased and generalizable knowledge about implementation of electricity feedback in workplace practices as well as in recommendations for energy efficiency work supported by visualization tools in the workplace. Results will feed back into the workplaces, be presented at conferences, and be published in a scientific journal. The project is funded by the Energy Agency, IQ Samhällsbyggnad, and partners.
Consupedia - Value driven consumption for increased justice, better environment and increased health
2017-04-14 - 2019
The purpose of the project is to finalize and test the first version of Consupedia - a decision support service building on a database collecting global information about products and services and categorizing this information according to social and environmental sustainability. A user interface is designed in order to facilitate for the user to navigate among the big web of information. Users will also share their own knowledge and evaluations. The service will analyse and visualize facts, statistics and habitual patterns and give feedback to users regarding their consumption patterns. The project is managed by Consupedia AB and funded by Vinnova's programme for Social Innovation.
https://www.vinnova.se/p/consupedia---varderingsstyrd-konsumtion-for-okad-rattvisa-battre-miljo-och-forbattrad-halsa/
