From a Barrier to a Bridge: Data-Privacy in Deregulated Smart Grids

The introduction of so-called smart meters involves detailed consumption data. While this data plays a key role in integrating volatile renewable energy sources, a side effect is that it can reveal sensitive personal information. Concerns and protests led to a stopped smart meter rollout yet. In deregulated electricity markets, data-privacy is even more at risk: The UK, Texas and Ontario decided for a nation-wide communication intermediary in order to facilitate the exchange of the vast amount of smart meter data. However, this operational efficiency is achieved by the fact that an intermediary is a single point of failure. We present an approach based on encryption to secure the intermediary against privacy invasions and we can show that our prototypical implementation meets even restrictive requirements for large-scale data handling and processing. By aiming at customers’ confidence in smart metering, our solution might lay the ground for an ecosystem of energy services

An investigation into the depiction of smart grid technology

Increasing climate change concerns and depletion of fossil fuels demand greater efficiency in electricity production and consumption. Smart Grid is a vision of an enhanced electricity grid that integrates the electric grid with communication and sensing technologies to improve energy delivery. A number of initiatives have been embarked upon to reach this vision. Databases of Smart Grid projects are being kept to hallmark the state of development and advise future project design. However, to date, there is no method of comparing projects‟ results. This means that it is difficult to identify the most successful projects. In addition, details of projects tend to be descriptive and there is no standard method of representing Smart Grid systems. The first Smart Grid technologies are about to be deployed in homes, and yet, there are little research examining how domestic consumers would react to a full set of Smart Grid technology. This is important because the opinions and participation of domestic consumers could lead to the success or failure of the Smart Grid system. This research aims to device a representation system that enables the comparison of smart grid technology available for the residential consumers in the UK. The objectives are to: (i) review and identify existing representations of home Smart Grid technology; (ii) review and identify the general system representation methods; (iii) develop a representation method that maps and enables the comparison of Smart Grid technology in homes; (iv) validate the design of the representation method with relevant stakeholders. Through a four step methodology these objectives were achieved. Thirty Smart Grid diagrams taken from journals and conference papers were analysed and categorised into five groups based of the type of communication features they contained. The results from this analysis guided the development of a Smart Grid representation method. Two Smart Grid systems that are available on the market were depicted using the representation method and were used to validate the design through interviewing 10 residential electricity consumers. As an outcome, this research had delivered a validated representation method that could be used to depict electricity management systems. It could be adopted by energy companies to convey the functions and benefits of Smart Grid technologies to potential customers

Propuestas para mejorar la adopción y apropiación de las tecnologías Smart Grid en Colombia por parte del público

Las redes inteligentes o smart grids (en adelante SG) se caracterizan por la circulación de energía y de información en forma bidireccional y en tiempo real, e implican la evolución de los sistemas energéticos tradicionales -- El despliegue generalizado y adecuado de estas tecnologías en términos de la adaptación, la apropiación y el uso por parte de los usuarios se constituye en una herramienta muy importante para el desarrollo social y económico del mundo y las naciones -- La creciente densificación de las ciudades, la necesidad de atender las crecientes demandas de energía, la problemática del transporte masivo y la gestión de los residuos conduce a que estas redes tomen y adapten tecnologías inteligentes para enfrentar dichos retos -- En ese contexto, este trabajo de grado tiene como objetivo general elaborar propuestas para mejorar la apropiación y el uso de las tecnologías smart grid en Colombia por parte del público incorporando experiencias y desarrollos internacionales; y, como objetivos específicos, realizar una vigilancia tecnológica sobre el rechazo del público a los proyectos de SG a nivel global y sobre las soluciones y aplicaciones que han permitido mejorar la aceptación de las SG y de todos los elementos tecnológicos –como los medidores inteligentes, smart meters, en adelante SM– que estas redes incorporan -- Finalmente, con base en las teorías de la adopción y apropiación de tecnologías, el trabajo formula propuestas que garanticen una mayor participación de los usuarios en el despliegue de las SG en el paísSmart networks or smart grids are characterized by the circulation of energy and information in bidirectional form and in real time, and involve the evolution of traditional energy systems -- The widespread and adequate deployment of these technologies in terms of adaptation, appropriation and use by users, is a very important tool for the social and economic development of the world and nations -- The growing densification of cities, the need to meet the rising demands for energy, the problem of mass transportation and waste disposal management lead these networks to take and adapt smart technologies to meet the challenges -- In this context, this degree project has as a general objective to elaborate proposals to improve the appropriation and use of smart grid technologies in Colombia by the public, incorporating international experiences and developments, and, as specific objectives, to carry out a technological surveillance on the rejection of the public to the smart grid projects at the global level and on the solutions and applications that have allowed to improve the acceptance of the smart grids and of all the technological elements that these networks incorporate –like the smart meters -- Finally, the study makes proposals, based on the theories of adoption and appropriation of technologies, which guarantee a greater participation of users in the deployment of smart grids in the countr

Informatics in the Future: Proceedings of the 11th European Computer Science Summit (ECSS 2015), Vienna, October 2015

Big data; Computing ethics; Women in computing; Research ethic

Comunicación anticipatoria de la ciencia en la CAPV. Una arquitectura relacional orientada a la toma de decisiones.

300 p.En esta tesis se establecen las bases y se analizan los problemas sobre los que se desarrolla la comunicación de la ciencia, comenzando por las iniciativas de la Unión Europea en investigación e innovación que reconocen las tensiones generadas por las necesidades de una sociedad competitiva industrialmente y los retos sociales que esta situación provoca. El objetivo no es sólo evitar la fractura social entre ciencia y sociedad sino la integración de los actores societales en un sistema que produzca ciencia excelente. Para este objetivo, propondremos el concepto de comunicación anticipatoria de la ciencia, así como la arquitectura relacional que la hace posible. Este enfoque se desarrolla sobre las políticas de gobernanza de la Unión Europea en su "Octavo Programa Marco para la Innovación e Investigación", el concepto transversal de Innovación e Investigación Responsables (RRI), e incorpora la potencialidad de la gobernanza anticipatoria.Esta tesis propone, en resumen, una arquitectura relacional para la comunicación anticipatoria de la ciencia diferente de la aproximación basada en la transmisión de contenidos. Esta arquitectura está orientada a retos, permite disminuir las asimetrías entre actores societales, incorpora la anticipación en su proceso y se realiza dentro del sistema sociotécnico