A socially intelligent approach to consumers' collective capabilities in smart grids

There is a pressing need to investigate consumers' social relations within energy systems particularly in the context of socially smart grids at the domestic level. However, no studies to date have categorised or explained how such social relations manifest and what role different consumers play in managing home energy demand. This work provides for the first time, a categorisation of household archetypes through the social relations that govern them. This study draws on mixed data including a large-scale ethno-visual survey and interviews conducted with energy consumers in Glasgow and Bristol, UK. The analysis forms part of a wider study which integrates social identity theory (SIT), practice theory and rhythm-analysis. We primarily focus on insights derived from SIT as an approach to identifying consumers' capabilities in smart energy systems and Home Energy Management (HEM) through a study of social relations. The findings reveal novel perspectives on how social identities shape HEM patterns and how the consequent socio-spatial and technical implications play a role in future demand reduction and the development of socially smart grids. The contribution of this study is two-fold; firstly, to demonstrate how prioritising social practices, identities, and rhythm-analysis can lead to novel interventions in smart grids and redefine the roles of the community, and neighbourhoods, and secondly to discuss the policy implications for planning future automated demand management via the acquisition of new socio-spatial insights into how diverse social identities and practices can foster just transitions and equitable energy futures in the UK and beyond.</p

A socially intelligent approach to consumers’ collective capabilities in smart grids

There is a pressing need to investigate consumers’ social relations within energy systems particularly in the context of socially smart grids at the domestic level. However, no studies to date have categorised or explained how such social relations manifest and what role different consumers play in managing home energy demand. This work provides for the first time, a categorisation of household archetypes through the social relations that govern them. This study draws on mixed data including a large-scale ethno-visual survey and interviews conducted with energy consumers in Glasgow and Bristol, UK. The analysis forms part of a wider study which integrates social identity theory (SIT), practice theory and rhythm-analysis. We primarily focus on insights derived from SIT as an approach to identifying consumers’ capabilities in smart energy systems and Home Energy Management (HEM) through a study of social relations. The findings reveal novel perspectives on how social identities shape HEM patterns and how the consequent socio-spatial and technical implications play a role in future demand reduction and the development of socially smart grids. The contribution of this study is two-fold; firstly, to demonstrate how prioritising social practices, identities, and rhythm-analysis can lead to novel interventions in smart grids and redefine the roles of the community, and neighbourhoods, and secondly to discuss the policy implications for planning future automated demand management via the acquisition of new socio-spatial insights into how diverse social identities and practices can foster just transitions and equitable energy futures in the UK and beyond

From individuals to collectives in energy systems — a social practice, identity and rhythm inspired lens

The need for socially smart energy systems that incorporate both individual and collective social, spatial, and technical dimensions is increasing. However, the social, spatial, and technical interplay between individual and collective scales has been poorly studied and lacks a conceptual basis. Most research to date has focused on social, technical, socio-technical, or spatial approaches at the individual level, or at the collective level independently of the individual. Therefore, overlooking the complex underlying dynamics between the individual and the collective and the multidimensional and multimodal nature of energy use and demand across scales. In response, we propose a novel integration of social practice, social identity theory, and rhythm analysis, with a focus on the collective capabilities of energy users, observable across neighbourhood social contexts and spatial scales. Our conceptual framework offers analytical benefits to energy research and policy by viewing energy users within their individual and collective socio-technical contexts across rhythms of everyday routines. This approach can inform future research in energy systems, as well as policy and practice in the design of new governance mechanisms and engineering requirements for socially smart grids, devices, and collective energy systems

Social identity and relations : implications for home energy demand and the peak load reduction in the UK

This paper explores how social relations and social identities shape home energy management practices at individual and collective levels. While emerging research has signalled the importance of social relations in shaping energy demand, there have been no empirical accounts to date. In addition, there have been few theoretical advances in the study of interconnected phenomena involved between social context and energy demand and between scales of the home and neighbourhood, with a dominant focus placed on individual homes and descriptive approaches. Social identities and relations shape both individual and collective actions, decisions, and experiences. Identities manifest in diverse routines, habits, and daily rhythms in and beyond the home. A deeper understanding of the ways they manifest could have significant implications for developing electrification and distributed energy transitions and understanding residents' roles within future interventions in energy demand and use, adoption, and peak load reduction. The approach of this study draws on novel conceptual grounds combining social identity theory, social practice theory and rhythm analysis to examine the characterisation of social relations and identities, alongside household energy demand practices. The methods include ethno-visual surveys involving 617 participants and 11 interviews with residents living in the Glasgow and Bristol regions in the UK. The findings enable new understandings of how social relations and identities can shape energy demand practices and the socio-spatial and technical implications this has on future peak load reduction and smart grids. The implications of the findings are twofold. First, the study shows how focusing on social relations and identities can lead to new forms of interventions in smart grid and energy systems transitions and the roles energy customers, the community and neighbourhoods may play. Second, there are policy implications for the planning of future automated demand management, through new socio-spatial insights into how different social identities and relations can contribute to just transitions and equitable energy futures in the UK

A literature review on thermal comfort performance of parametric façades

Thermal performance is a major part of the building envelope and is getting more attention globally. Nowadays, parametric design methods are used in building envelope design, such as facade design, for optimization of building envelopes, which could affect thermal performance and energy consumption. Moreover, new technologies applied to building design have not only changed the appearance of cities but also increased occupant comfort. This paper illustrates a systematic review that explains some tools and techniques that have been used in recent years to improve thermal comfort by applying parametric design panels to a second skin façade for residents. It attempted to collect and synthesize the most relevant evidence and methodologies. In this paper, 30 articles have been analyzed. They are classified by methodologies, years, and climate zones. Results suggest that simulation is the most accurate in comparison with other methodologies.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Biomimicry green façade : integrating nature into building façades for enhanced building envelope efficiency

Incorporating natural elements into the design of building façades, such as green façades, has emerged as a promising strategy for achieving sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. Biomimicry has become a key inspiration for the development of innovative green façade systems. However, there is still progress to be made in maximising their aesthetic and structural performance, and the application of advanced and generative design methods is imperative for optimising green façade architecture. This research aims to present a generative design-based prototype of a biomimicry green façade substrate with photosynthetic microorganisms to enhance building façade efficiency. The concept of green façades offers numerous advantages, as it can be adapted to a wide range of building structures and implemented in various climates. To achieve this, Rhino and Grasshopper were utilized to design the generative and parametric substrate, optimizing the architectural form using a genetic algorithm. Consequently, a bio-façade prototype was developed, determining the optimal number and shape of coral envelopes to maintain cyanobacteria within a generative and parametric façade. Furthermore, the photosynthetic microorganism façade acted as an adaptive façade, effectively improving visual and thermal comfort, daylighting, and Indoor Environmental Quality performance

Urban vertical garden: ways to improve living conditions by applying green façades in buildings refurbishment at semi-arid climate

This dissertation aims to improve work conditions in office buildings by implementing vertical greenery systems, such as green façades and living walls in semi-arid climates. Since building energy performance is characterized by their electrical systems and thermal exchanges through the building envelope, which is primarily defined by glazing systems in the façades, covering glazed façades with a vegetation layer can play a key role in energy-saving and thermal comfort of buildings. This research evaluates, through the building simulation method, the influence of green façades in thermal comfort, energy consumption, and the heating and cooling loads of an office building in Denver city with a semi-arid climate condition. Furthermore, the psychological and physical performance of vertical gardens as a nature-based solution and, from the perspective of biophilic cities and philosophy, has been assessed through a review of previous studies related to the effect of greenery systems in office buildings. A green façade can also be used as a retrofit option for office building refurbishment. A case study was created as a conceptual model to investigate the influence of green façades and green façade configuration on their performance prediction in semi-arid climates. Additionally, for a better understanding of vertical garden performance in semi-arid regions, simulation case studies in Barcelona with a Mediterranean climate (as articles) and Denver with a semiarid climate as the context of this dissertation were conducted and their results were compared together. The information generated from the simulation of bare and green façade configurations as a double-skin façade was incorporated into qualitative theories trying to predict human comfort aspects in the work environment. For balancing energy-saving measures through green façade refurbishment, four qualitative criteria serve as the foundation for occupant psychological and physical comfort, and their impact on productivity has been established. These criteria are: the requirement for appropriate indoor air temperature, indoor air quality, daylight availability for the psychological performance of users, and perceived control over the façade by a vegetation layer in workplaces. Finally, a new concept of vertical gardens was introduced by integrating biology and technology in architecture, which may solve the issue of weather conditions and water scarcity in some climates, such as semi-arid climates, for implementing vertical gardens.Esta tesis tiene como objetivo mejorar las condiciones de trabajo en los edificios de oficinas mediante la implementación de sistemas de vegetación vertical, como fachadas verdes y muros vivos en climas semiáridos. Dado que el rendimiento energético de los edificios se caracteriza por sus sistemas eléctricos e intercambios térmicos a través de la envolvente del edificio, que se define principalmente por sistemas de acristalamiento en las fachadas, cubrir las fachadas acristaladas con una capa de vegetación puede desempeñar un papel clave en el ahorro de energía y el confort térmico de los edificios. Esta investigación evalúa, a través del método de simulación de edificios, la influencia de las fachadas verdes en el confort térmico, el consumo de energía y las cargas de calefacción y refrigeración de un edificio de oficinas en la ciudad de Denver con una condición climática semiárida. Además, el desempeño psicológico y físico de los jardines verticales como una solución basada en la naturaleza y, desde la perspectiva de las ciudades biofílicas y la filosofía, ha sido evaluado a través de una revisión de estudios previos relacionados con el efecto de los sistemas de vegetación en edificios de oficinas. Una fachada verde también se puede utilizar como una opción de modernización para la renovación de edificios de oficinas. Se creó un estudio de caso como modelo conceptual para investigar la influencia de las fachadas verdes y la configuración de las fachadas verdes en su predicción de rendimiento en climas semiáridos. Además, para una mejor comprensión del rendimiento del jardín vertical en regiones semiáridas, se llevaron a cabo estudios de caso de simulación en Barcelona con un clima mediterráneo (como artículos) y Denver con un clima semiárido como el contexto de esta disertación y se compararon sus resultados. La información generada a partir de la simulación de configuraciones de fachadas desnudas y verdes como una fachada de doble piel se incorporó a teorías cualitativas que intentan predecir los aspectos de comodidad humana en el entorno de trabajo. Para equilibrar las medidas de ahorro de energía a través de la renovación de fachadas verdes, cuatro criterios cualitativos sirven como base para la comodidad psicológica y física de los ocupantes, y se ha establecido su impacto en la productividad. Estos criterios son: el requisito de una temperatura del aire interior adecuada, la calidad del aire interior, la disponibilidad de luz natural para el desempeño psicológico de los usuarios y el control percibido sobre la fachada por una capa de vegetación en los lugares de trabajo. Finalmente, se introdujo un nuevo concepto de jardines verticales mediante la integración de la biología y la tecnología en la arquitectura, que puede resolver el problema de las condiciones climáticas y la escasez de agua en algunos climas, como los climas semiáridos, para la implementación de jardines verticales.Postprint (published version

Socio-temporal dynamics and spatial scales for future home energy transitions and crisis planning - UK insights

Planning for future equitable home energy transitions and electrification is dependent on multidimensional technical, social, temporal, and spatial insights. Despite growing calls to integrate social, spatial, and temporal insights, most studies have either overlooked these dimensions or examined them mostly from the perspective of social acceptance. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of social identities in shaping collective energy behaviours and temporal rhythms in the home and the consequences this may have on future electrification, flexible demand, energy transition and crisis planning. This research work draws on mixed methods using diverse data including surveys, photos, and interviews with residents in Glasgow and Bristol, UK. The research reveals that social identities shape energy use temporal rhythms – either in regular or irregular patterns over time. These socio-temporal rhythms have diverse consequences for demand flexibility and crisis planning to provide a responsive and dynamic evidence-based approach. This work offers a novel socio-temporal and spatial approach that could be used by local government, the housing sector, and energy providers in planning targeted collective responses to anticipated frequent energy crises and peak load events. There are also benefits to academics in offering a new conceptual lens by combining social practice, identity, and rhythm analysis for the study of energy transitions and crisis phenomena

Evaluation of thermal comfort performance of a vertical garden on a glazed façade and its effect on building and urban scale, case study: An office building in barcelona

Postprint (published version