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Research and innovation policies (IPs) across Europe, particularly in Sweden, are increasingly framed by an orientation towards societal challenges, missions, and transformative change. Innovation-funding agencies are adapting to these new approaches but struggle with a host of new questions and challenges on how to re-structure public policy interventions and develop new structures for monitoring, learning, and evaluation. In this article, we investigate how this IP paradigm shift is dealt with in the IP discourse and practice in Sweden and how an incomplete shift creates mismatches and tensions with existing structures for programme evaluation and monitoring. Despite the new paradigm, the implementation of evaluation strategies mostly follows a traditional summative framing. The ongoing discussions in Swedish IP demonstrate that a paradigm shift towards transformative innovation cannot unfold its potential unless it is also followed by a shift in the practices of programme implementation and evaluation., Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council Formas

Positive energy district (PED) is a novel idea aimed to have an annual surplus of renewable energy and net zero greenhouse gas emissions within an area. However, it is still an ambiguous concept, which might be due to the complexity of city district projects with interconnected infrastructures and numerous stakeholders involved. This study discusses various aspects of PED implementation and presents practitioners' experiences with the PED concept, challenges, and facilitators they have faced with real projects. The study is based on interviews with ten Swedish professionals. The major challenges reported for PED implementation were local energy production and energy flexibility, sub-optimization, legislation, suitable system boundaries, and involvement of stakeholders. Most of the interviewees mentioned improved collaboration, integrated innovative technology, political support, and climate change mitigation goals as important facilitators. The interviewees highlighted the importance of a local perspective and considered each city's preconditions when developing a PED project. The study emphasizes that to facilitate PED implementation and replication in cities, more knowledge and clarity is required about PED such as on the definition and system boundaries., QC 20230714

Transition management literature acknowledges that urban transitions are influenced by the interplay between a wide variety of actors operating under network governance. This means that municipalities must move from the traditional roles of commanders or implementers to those of initiators and facilitators of transition initiatives involving multiple actors and sectors. However, the structural and cultural challenges in municipalities hinder their ability to collaborate in network environments. Through a case study, this study analyses the role of transition intermediaries as expert organizations in building collaborations that support municipalities in developing their relational collaboration potential. The results show that besides building successful collaborations, intermediation work should focus on creating inter-organizational spaces where municipalities can learn how to collaborate relationally. However, transition intermediaries do not replace municipalities in their facilitation role in the transition but support them until they are ready to assume that role.

A Positive Energy District (PED) is an inclusive, energy efficient district with optimized energy flows and a local production of renewable energy, with an annual surplus of energy that can be exported to other areas. Most of the municipalities in Sweden have ambitious climate neutrality goals and implementing PEDs in cities could be one way to contribute to the achievement of those climate goals. However, PED is an innovative concept which is still ambiguous for many stakeholders, and many uncertainties remain. To understand the perspectives of Swedish stakeholders towards PEDs, a three hour long online workshop was organized in December 2020. Representatives from city officials, universities, energy utilities and real estate companies participated in the discussion groups. The groups discussed three topics related to PED, namely; 1) Definition of PED, 2) Challenges and drivers for PEDs and 3) Replication of PEDs. Most of the discussion groups agreed to the importance of viewing PEDs as a part of the larger energy system and to find holistic solutions and promoting collaboration between actors. Most groups considered leadership and stakeholder engagement as important drivers for PEDs. Further, participants discussed that the slow decision processes in municipalities could be a challenge for PEDs. Even though there was consensus on most challenges and drivers, one aspect where participants had conflicting opinions was the PED definition. Some groups thought that the PED definition needs to be clearer and more narrow, while others saw it as a potential barrier if it becomes too technology focused. During discussions on replication, most groups stressed the importance of knowledge sharing and the results highlight that different stakeholders can play different roles in facilitating replication for PEDs. The study highlights the importance of a regional perspective when developing the PED definition, since the Swedish stakeholders had different viewpoints on PED that c, ISBN: 978-91-983878-9-3 (online).

Households can provide demand-side flexibility by changing their consumption behaviour and shifting energy-intensive activities – such as vacuuming, cooking or charging electric cars – to off-peak hours. Such behaviour-based demand response management could balance out consumption peaks without the need for costly smart home devices or automation technologies. However, existing research has struggled to motivate consumers to adapt their behaviour or maintain behaviour change over extended periods of time. This field study explored a scalable and cost-effective behavioural demand response tool and investigated its short- and long-term impacts on average and peak hour electricity consumption under realistic conditions: A smartphone app provided users with social comparison feedback on their electricity consumption and invited them to participate in “pause hours” by avoiding energy- intensive activities during peak hours. To appeal even to hard-to-reach energy users and elicit longer-term engagement, the app also contained a neighbourhood newsfeed and was framed as a local social network. In a 15-month trial with 550 student apartments in Sweden, more than half of the residents voluntarily installed the app, many app users stayed engaged over an extended period of time and pause hour participants achieved substantial peak-load consumption reductions of 46% on average. These results indicate that smartphone apps can achieve peak load consumption reduction and long-term engagement, although they may be particularly attractive to already energy efficient households. Avenues for future research are discussed., Manuscript submitted to Journal of Cleaner Production, see DiVA record 1763440QC 20230804

Despite the extensive literature on learning in urban transitions, we still have a limited understanding on how higher-order learning takes place in transition management and is spread within the transition arena. In this paper we analyze the efforts of transferring such embedded knowledge and its interrelation with learning through the examples of three Swedish municipalities engaged in urban transition management. To do so, we developed a framework of learning ripples that conceptualizes learning across social boundaries as an active and two-way process that goes beyond transferring and receiving knowledge, but also requires higher order learning that includes knowledge integration in the form of defining and formulating one's role and contributions to transitions. We found that higher order learning is largely influenced by the quality and frequency of interactions between the transferer and receivers. The further a stakeholder was located from the center of the transition arena in terms of direct interactions, the less chance occurred for higher order learning that resulted in tensions and conflicts in the collaboration. Our results show the problem as a lack of knowledge integration or a lack of conditions which allow stakeholders to articulate their views or develop an idea about their own role in the whole process., QC 20220506

This paper aims to fill a research gap in the area of consumer-citizen attitudes to business models for decentralized energy storage, at the level of households and buildings. The study focuses on the interaction of such attitudes and their underlying motivation factors with socio-cultural, contextual factors. Self-determination theory (SDT) is used as a theoretical framework, to connect interpersonal and contextual factors, addressing the question of how contexts influence the motivation to support energy storage. Drawing on SDT, this study examines the role of autarky (independence from the energy system), autonomy (control over energy management) and relatedness (degree of sharing required) in this regard, embedded and interpreted in the socio-cultural local context of two demonstration sites in Sweden and Portugal. A mixed method approach is used. Quantitative survey data provides information on local social and cultural dimensions, followed by stakeholder consultation workshops that elicit participants’ views on different models of decentralized energy storage. The findings raise questions of how to improve autarky and autonomy for prosumers, while keeping the need for time investment low and provide flexibility regarding the required degree of interaction between prosumers. Implications for business models and policy support for citizen-centered sustainable urban energy systems are derived., QC 20210302

The paper deals with the elaboration and application of the phenomenological mathematical model of the vertical ground heat source and comprehensive energy and exergy analysis of ground heat source-evaporator system of the ground source heat pump. The novelty of the proposed model, with comparison to the conventional engineering approaches, is derived from the description of a ground source and evaporator as a nonequilibrium thermodynamic system consisting of ground (a source of low temperature energy) and a finite cylindrical borehole filled with fluid (the energy carrier) flowing through it and with continuity of temperature and energy fluxes boundary conditions between ground and fluid. It is shown that the studied problem is characterized by only dimensionless parameter - the ratio of the thermal conductivities of the ground and flowing fluid. The designed mathematical model has been used for study of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of extractable energy. Further, a thermodynamic scheme of the heat pump evaporator as a converter of low potential geothermal energy of secondary fluid into freon energy due to phase transition is proposed. A definition of an exergy efficiency of the evaporator of the ground source heat pump and the fundamental energy characteristic of the ground source of heat have been introduced in the paper and the physical interpretation of the received results has been provided. The designed mathematical model has been used for study of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of extractable energy using exergy analysis. The proposed ground heat source and evaporator models for heat pumps enables the creation of new engineering techniques for calculations of energy capacity of borehole heat exchangers for Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP). Besides, the suggested theory can be used for elaboration of the new scientific–technological approaches to creating optimum strategies for design, control and operation of Heat Pumps., QC 20230424

In recent decades, the close correlation between urban development and the concept of sustainability has become increasingly evident and important. This is demonstrated by European Union policies concerning EU cities and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including sustainable development goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable cities and communities. In the context of increasing urbanization, it is essential to find innovative methods to manage urban living systems and to establish a standard method for assessing the environmental performance of cities and their infrastructures. A unified and complete methodology for assessing policies for urban sustainability that takes into consideration urban complexity is currently lacking. In this paper, we integrate the Urban Metabolism and Lice Cycle Assessment approach to assess urban sustainability by developing a multi-dimensional measure framework applied to cities. Our aim is to provide a holistic view of the city and unveiling the interconnections among a set of urban dimensions identified by means of an approach based on complex systems science and complex networks. We also propose a specific survey to investigate the city in a multi-dimensional perspective and suggest key indicators based on network centrality measures for investigating and comparing the interconnections among a set of urban dimensions specifically identified (e.g. energy, material, transport). Finally, a case study based on Beijing is considered to show potential applications., QC 20200402

Engaged households are needed for the future ‘smart grids’ to function, but it is difficult to engage residents in their household electricity consumption. Building on earlier research suggesting that a local social network could provide a suitable context for energy feedback, this paper examines how feedback presented in a social network should be designed in order to be better understood by the residents and encourage long-term engagement. A review of the literature on design principles and cases where they had been implemented identified 24 principles. A prototype feedback design adapted for a local social network was made, based on design principles deemed suitable for the screens designed. End-user feedback on the prototype was collected through a stakeholder consultation workshop. In the workshop dis- cussions, 17 identified principles were mentioned and there was support for 15 of these, one was both supported and contested and two were contested. Based on comments and suggestions from end-users, a revised version of the feedback prototype was made for implementation in a pilot study in Sweden and Portugal., QC 20190917

QC 20190930

QC 20190104

Our paper is informed by the recent interest in how the sharing economy and related initiatives mayact as drivers for energy transition and increase well-being and social sustainability in smart sustainable city contexts. We take the example of temporary buildings that for a limited time period offer shared public spaces for public events in the city. Such initiatives are often linked to quadruple helix initiatives in which a local city council, industry and academia join forces to engage citizens in the energy and climate debate, with a temporary building structure as the focal point. The paper argues that such energy initiatives are valuable in terms of social sustainability since they create additional public space for the benefit of citizen debate; contribute scalable solutions and effective infrastructure that can promote energy awareness among citizens. However, there is limited scientific evidence, and a lacking awareness, of the energy efficiency and climate comfort relating to temporary buildings for public use. Our preliminary results show that such factors risk to obscure the well-intended objectives of quadruple helix initiatives to support energy transition. The revealed problems of a Stockholm use case suggest that in spite of significant social and economic impact resulting from curated public events which attracted an unprecedented number of visitors, energy consumption, climate comfort and indoor air quality are nevertheless important factors that also must be considered in the design and implementation of temporary building structures. The paper concludes that better climate controlshared economy thinking is necessary at theearliest stage of a planning process, for temporary buildings to be successful., QCR 20171218

QC 20170126

In this paper we study how IoT technology can be introduced and used in different sectors; industrial IoT, smart energy, smart homes, smart cities, health care and social care, sports and well-being. The research has given increased insights into opportunities and obstacles for the introduction of IoT in different sectors. The main obstacles are considered to be i) specific IoT solutions often tend to be a small part of the overall solution, ii) lack of knowledge about which overall services the IoT solution may be part of, iii) Fragmentation and insufficient scalability, iv) Distrust and hesitation among actors to share data and platforms and finally, v) fear of changing the own business model. The analysis of our cases indicates that most of the challenges occur due to the fact that the solutions initially have been developed using a single firm business model. In order to survive or grow a networked business model is needed., QC 20180419

Social learning is an important element of the reflexive governance approaches needed to enable sustainability transitions. One such approach is participatory backcasting (PB), which involves development of a desirable future vision and a pathway towards this vision. Social learning has been reported as an outcome of different PB projects, including those performed in the infrastructure sector. This study examined the importance of sharing and transferring knowledge and new perceptions developed during PB projects among the individuals directly involved in these projects to and within their formal and informal groups and organisations (e.g. local authorities, DH companies, equipment producers, consumer associations). Mechanisms that need to be incorporated into PB processes to support knowledge sharing/transfer were identified as: (1) use of actor role profiles to identify individuals with bridging/connecting/change agent capability for inclusion in a PB process; (2) strong participant engagement in co-creation activities during the PB project; and (3) PB process design to achieve the multiplier effect (e.g. capacity-building workshops for local researchers and authorities). These mechanisms were successfully tested using the case of two PB-based projects seeking sustainability in the heating sector of the Ukrainian city Bila Tserkva and the Serbian city Niš. It was concluded that further investigation of mechanisms for knowledge sharing/transfer and experimentation within PB processes is a promising research area for enabling sustainability transitions in the heating sector., QC 20180411

Buildings are major contributors to energy use and environmental impact in developed societies. If theambitious sustainability targets of modern societies are to be met, energy use in the built environmentmust be addressed as a central issue.New momentum on achieving energy efficiency in the building sector has been triggered by informationand communication technology (ICT). New opportunities bringing the concept of smart building closerto reality are offered e.g. by innovative sensing techniques, extensive and cost-efficient data collectionand analysis, advanced controls and artificial intelligence.However, these opportunities are associated with cost and uncertainties regarding whether theinvestment costs are paid back in terms of energy savings, whether indoor comfort and air quality andimproved, the drawbacks in term of increased maintenance effort, complexity, reliability and resilience,the effects in terms of user interaction, how data security is affected and the long-term effects on society.This paper critically analyses recent research findings and reviews the pros and cons of some promisingICT techniques being applied in the building sector. It exemplifies drivers and barriers to implementationof advanced controls and artificial intelligence in buildings, based on findings from two test-beds inStockholm, and discusses the implications of these findings for future research., QC 20171218

This paper deals with short-term modelling of pollutant transport on the sea surface after environmental accidents. Using the Lagrangian approach, a two-dimensional model of pollutant flow is developed to determine the average velocity field of the flow in the presence of tidal currents and sea surface wind stress for an arbitrarily shaped coastline. This approach assumes that the main transport mechanism is convection. Short-term scenarios are considered, where diffusion effects on pollutant transport can be neglected. The hydrodynamic problem is solved by the method of discrete singularities adapted to fluid advection problems. The problem of environmental pollutant transport by sea currents is reduced to integration of the advection equations to determine the spatio-temporal properties of the spreading pollution. The model was verified through comparison of the results against natural observations on the spread of an oil spill on the sea surface following a collision between the Chinese bulk carrier Fu Shan Hai and the Cyprian container ship Gdynia near the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea (May 31, 2003). Satisfactory agreement was found between results of a 7-day numerical simulation and observed data. The proposed model can therefore be used for real-time prediction of short-term pollutant transport on a sea surface with an arbitrarily shaped coastline, to support decision-making processes during maritime accidents, in particular oil spills., QC 20170703