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The COVID-19 pandemic has had drastic effects on the way we live. With the sudden shift to the home office, a shift in electricity consumption has also taken place between the residential, public, industrial and commercial sectors. Understanding these changes is crucial for a sustainable energy transition, as these changes affect the load and flexibility to adapt. In this study, we quantify the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has led to shifts in the electricity consumption patterns. Based on data from around 10,000 smart electricity meters in Stockholm, Sweden, we built a spatio-temporal multivariate regression model at postal code level to predict what the total electricity consumption during the pandemic would have looked like if there were no pandemic, allowing for quantification of the effect of the pandemic as the difference between the predicted and actual consumption, adjusted for differences in temperature. Results of 10-fold cross-validation showed good accuracy with a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of around 5%, with slight variations for season and consumer sectors. The prediction maps allow us to find clusters where electricity consumption changes are highest, showing where changes in the local electricity infrastructure may be needed in the future.

Titeln “Dansmästaren” syftar till mobilitetshuset i Uppsala med samma namn och undertiteln ”Dansar elbilsägare efter det lokala elnätets pipa” till parkörers drivkrafter och hinder att vara flexibla när de laddar sina el- och hybridbilar. Studiens resultat visar att smart laddning är mindre problematiskt i anslutning till bostaden än på publika parkeringsplatser. Detta eftersom osäkerheten är mindre och tillförlitligheten större i samband med den förra och vice versa med den senare. Ekonomiska incitament tenderar att vara en viktig drivkraft, och rädslan för utebliven laddning och laddblockning, betydande barriärer för flexibel laddning vid publik parkering.

Local flexibility markets (LFM) for electricity are in their early stages, and most research has focused on their design aspects and aggregators, while little attention has been paid to providers and potential providers of flexibility resources. The present research aims to fill this gap by analysing data from 25 in-depth interviews with enrolled and potential flexibility service providers of two LFMs in Sweden. The primary goal of the analysis is to identify the drivers and barriers to participating in and providing flexibility to LFMs that are influencing these actors. Our findings show that monetary incentives were not as important as expected. The main drivers were as follows: an aggregator acting as a mediator between the buyer and the provider; a champion with personal engagement in the organisation; a wish to be a part of resolving congestion in the electricity grid; and gaining knowledge about flexibility as a resource. The main barriers identified were that LFM design was challenging to understand and that extensive knowledge about how the market functions was needed to participate. Other barriers were related to existing regulations, manual and time-consuming processes, participation not being profitable enough, perceived interference with the companies' core businesses, and the risk of compromising customer relationships. For the future, it is essential to simplify participation, develop automation, and contribute to establishing aggregators who can support potential flexibility service providers.

Local flexibility markets (LFM) for electricity are in their early stages, and most research has focused on their design aspects and aggregators, while little attention has been paid to providers and potential providers of flexibility resources. The present research aims to fill this gap by analysing data from 25 in-depth interviews with enrolled and potential flexibility service providers of two LFMs in Sweden. The primary goal of the analysis is to identify the drivers and barriers to participating in and providing flexibility to LFMs that are influencing these actors. Our findings show that monetary incentives were not as important as expected. The main drivers were as follows: an aggregator acting as a mediator between the buyer and the provider; a champion with personal engagement in the organisation; a wish to be a part of resolving congestion in the electricity grid; and gaining knowledge about flexibility as a resource. The main barriers identified were that LFM design was challenging to understand and that extensive knowledge about how the market functions was needed to participate. Other barriers were related to existing regulations, manual and time-consuming processes, participation not being profitable enough, perceived interference with the companies’ core businesses, and the risk of compromising customer relationships. For the future, it is essential to simplify participation, develop automation, and contribute to establishing aggregators who can support potential flexibility service providers.

Conventionally, demand response functions by communicating to electricity users through price signals embedded in their tariffs. These signals are intended to encourage a change in behavior, which hinges on the ability of users to understand their tariff and link it to the appropriate curtailment actions. This study focuses on demand-based tariffs, evaluating user's understanding of these tariffs and the conceptual grasp of power (rate of energy consumption) that they implicitly require. It also explores whether users exposed to these tariffs for extended periods develop a better understanding of them. Using a survey, the following points are sequentially evaluated: (1) Respondents' abilities to intuitively distinguish between energy/power (2) Their understanding of the different effects of curtailment actions under four distinct tariffs (3) Whether those subject to demand-based pricing outperform those subject to energy-based pricing. Despite a weaker conceptual understanding of power compared to energy, there were no significant differences between respondents' understanding of energy and demand-based tariffs. Comparing those subject to energy and demand-based pricing reveals that a majority were unaware of their own tariff (and hence which group they fall into), but for the minority of users who correctly identified their own tariffs, those subject to demand-based pricing outperform their energy-based counterparts. When presented with clear and instructive tariffs, respondents are largely able to deduce the consequences of curtailment actions, despite a weak conceptual understanding of power. A deeper problem is that the price signal may be entirely disregarded by an apathetic majority, reaching only an inquisitive minority.

Projektet utgör en fallstudie beträffande implementeringen av en marknadsstyrd effekttariff i kundsegmentet 35-63 A inom eldistributionen. Studien genomförs inom ramen för ett pilotprojekt på Sandviken Energi Elnät AB och i nära samarbete med övriga nätbolag som omfattas av nätverket Elinorr. En ökad efterfrågeflexibilitet, det vill säga en anpassning av elanvändningen till överförings- och produktionskapaciteten i energisystemet, är ett viktigt led i de politiska ambitionerna att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser samt att öka energieffektiviseringen och andelen förnyelsebara energikällor. En viktig premiss för realiseringen av dessa mål är så kallade smarta elnät. Dessa förväntas möjliggöra övergången från en fossilberoende till en eldriven fordonspark och den storskaliga integrationen av el från exempelvis sol och vind i energisystemet, vilket i sin tur både påverkar och ställer krav på elkonsumenters beteende. För att klara omställningen till ett uthålligt energisystem måste det således skapas förutsättningar för elkonsumenter att medverka till en effektivare elanvändning. Mot denna bakgrund har nätbolagen som omfattas av Elinorr utvecklat ett tariffkoncept, som kallas ”marknadsstyrd effekttariff” och syftar till att skapa incitament för efterfrågeflexibilitet inom eldistributionen. Grundprincipen är att tariffen uppdateras årligen med utgångspunkt från de två föregående årens lastkurvor. Kunderna påverkar således nästkommande års tariff via sitt elanvändningsmönster. Effektavgiften varierar från månad till månad och är baserad på den sammanlagrade maxeffekten i samtliga kundsegment. Det övergripande syftet med projektet är att empiriskt studera effekten av den marknadsstyrda effekttariffen på elanvändningsmönstret samt elkonsumenternas uppfattning om och förståelse för densamma. Den 1 maj 2015 införde Sandviken Energi Elnät AB, som omfattas av Elinorr, den marknadsstyrda effekttariffen i kundsegmentet 35-63A. Analyserna avseende den marknadsstyrda effekttariffens, The project is a case study of the implementation of a market-driven power tariff in the customer segment 35-63 in electricity distribution. The study was conducted as part of a pilot project at Sandviken Energi Elnät AB and in close collaboration with the other distribution system operators of the network Elinorr. An increased demad response, i.e. an adaptation of the electricity consumption to the distribution- and production capacity in the energy system, is an important part of the political ambitions to decrease the emissions of greenhouse gases as well as to increase energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy sources. An important prerequisite for realizing these goals are so called smart grids. These are expected to enable the transition from a fossil fuel dependent to an electricity-driven fleet of vehicles and the large-scale integration of electricity from e.g. solar cells and wind, which in turn affects and make demands on customers’ behavior. Creating conditions for electricity consumers to contribute to a more efficient use of electricity is thus crucial in managing the transition to a sustainable energy system. Against this background the distribution system operators of Elinorr have developed a tariff concept that is referred to as ”market-driven power tariff” and aims to create an incentive for demand response in electricity distribution. The basic principle is that the tariff is updated once a year based on the load profile of the two previous years. Thus, customers affect next year’s tariff via their electricity consumption pattern. The power rate varies from month to month and is based on the maximum diversified demand in all customer segments. The overall aim of the project is to empirically study the effect of the market-driven power tariff on the electricity consumption pattern a well as customers’ perception and understanding of it. On the 1 of May in 2015 Sandviken Energi Elnät AB, which is part of Elinorr, introduced the market-driv, Marknadsstyrd effekttariff inom eldistributionen

De estimerade effekterna av en tidsdifferentierad och effektbaserad elnätstariff, i form av förändrade elkonsumtionsmönster, är förhållandevis marginella och begränsade till hushåll som bor i villa. Resultaten tyder på att villaägarna i Sollentuna, som ett led i sin anpassning av elanvändningen till effekttariffen, har minskat sin elanvändning under höglasttid med 2,3 och 1,2 procent under sommar- respektive vintermånaderna i jämförelse med referensgruppen i Saltsjö-Boo. Det finns inget som tyder på en liknande effekt bland bostadsrätter och motsvarande analyser avseende hyresrätter har inte varit möjliga med anledning av att referensgruppen i det här fallet inte var representativ. Resultaten indikerar vidare att effekttariffer tydligt påverkar hushålls attityder och intentioner att flytta elanvändning från hög- till låglasttid, men att dessa inte återspeglas i deras faktiska beteende. Det finns således endast ett svagt samband mellan förekomsten av effekttariff och andelen el som förbrukas under hög- respektive låglasttid bland de hushåll som omfattades av studien. De psykologiska faktorer som har störst betydelse för om, och i så fall i vilken utsträckning, hushållen anpassar sin elanvändning till en effekttariff i det här avseendet är de förväntade konsekvenserna av, och därmed attityden till, den aktuella beteendeförändringen samt den upplevda graden av kontroll över densamma. Mer konkret innebär det att ekonomiska besparingar samt positiva effekter för miljö, klimatförändringar och en hållbar utveckling för yngre och kommande generationer utgör de viktigaste drivkrafterna, medan omständigheten att man anser sin elförbrukning vara i princip obefintlig, eller att man redan idag använder i stort sett all el under låglasttid utgör de största hindren, för att anpassa sin elanvändning till effekttariffen. De skillnader som har observerats avseende såväl drivkrafter som faktiskt beteende är genomgående större mellan de olika boendeformerna än de båda områdena, det vil

In light of global warming, energy conservation is indispensable. Residential electricity use, nevertheless, escapes consumers’ notice. Thus feedback is essential, yet households’ access to information is vastly limited. Smart metering renders continuous feedback over the Internet possible, but users perceive existing web tools to be inaccessible and incomprehensible. Hence the aim has been to design a user interface so as to serve the purpose of increasing awareness and energy efficiency in households. Ease of access and straightforwardness have been established as key factors and conventional bar charts in combination with color symbolism have proven to be useful in this respect.

Increased demand response is essential in order to boost the effectiveness of the Swedish power market. The all-embracing installation of automatic meter reading systems enables power suppliers to introduce hourly settlements in the residential sector. The aim of the study has been to assess the impact of electricity retailers’ physical and financial risk in customer segments with different heating systems as well as to estimate the potential of the electricity contract ”Fixed price with the right to return” in terms of economic consequences and risk management. The results show that households whose main heating system consists of a geothermal heat pump constitute the largest physical price and volume risk of suppliers. The gain of introducing hourly settlements in the residential electricity market has furthermore proven to be manifold from both an economic and risk reducing point of view.

In the future we can expect new types of more interactive communications between singlecustomers and groups of customers towards the energy market companies. These can be developas a result of the introduction of individual metering of electricity, and then utilize thisinformation both for information to the customers, as well as different kind of control of thepower system. The information can be through interactive displays where instant and aggregatedenergy and power utilization is presented, but also with a possibility to react to differences inprices by e.g. shutting of some power consumers to avoid high costs. Different types ofinteractions are discussed in the paper.

We have had a strong mechanism for interaction between power production companies and the power trading/supplier companies for a number of years by now. In the future we can expect new types of more interactive communications between single customers and groups of customers towards the energy market companies. We can expect a stronger request side from customers to buy only green energy, only nuclear etc. Power (kW) will be a part aside of energy (kWh) and there will be new possibilities to buy energy when it is as cheap as possible. This may include new applications like charging batteries for your car when the electricity price is low. Differentiation of price may be not only as a direct function of time, but also energy availability like when it is windy, as wind power becomes a major part of many energy systems. Energy storage will be more important and perhaps we will get new possibilities to buy shares in central energy storages like you buy space at servers for your web-pages etc. Other type of functions may develop as a result of the introduction of individual metering of first electricity and later on hot water and temperature. By metering the individual consumption and invoicing just what has been spent, you will have a driving force also to do actions like shutting of high demand functions like “infra-heating”, “large screen TV” and similar, when other usages are on, and the price is high. We expect displays with interaction possibilities in all homes, where you can see your consumption and pricing information. These new type of systems will put new demands on both hardware for supply and software to handle the services/functions. As part of developing this, mathematical modelling of the systems and tests with simulators will be an important tool. Also new soft ware functions will be developed to support the actual services, like simulators giving information on how different actions you make as a user will influence your energy consumption in the future, STEM Energy efficiency improvements in appartments

A determining factor for a successful implementation of a demand-based pricing model or control strategy in electricity markets is not only the effects of peak load management, but also the financial consequences for the utility operator and the end customer. In this economic modelling a subset of 460 residential customers has been implemented in a software tool analysing the economic outcome of three different tariffs. Two demand-based tariffs were investigated and compared with a traditional energy-based tariff. The demand-based tariffs transform the flat income curve into a more complex, due to a stronger economic dependency to the system peak loads. The demand-based tariffs move the revenues to the high-peak period, November – March, and the utility operator gains a good matching between system peaks and distribution of incomes.