Managing Energy Demand and Efficiency

Energy security, fuel poverty, increasing energy demands, ageing grid infrastructures, emerging (renewable) energy markets, and commercial opportunities are all key features of international political energy discourse. This paper considers the role of intelligent management systems for existing, emerging and future energy generation, storage technologies and demand. The epistemological dimension of this paper contends that intelligent energy management systems should utilise a bio-inspired approach to their operation to adapt to the prevailing environment that they operate in. The substantive focus of the paper is on energy demand and efficiency. In considering these, an initial focus is on the need for greater network stability and efficiency, and to review existing supply and network related issues. The paper demonstrates that there are currently major challenges concerning network transmission and conversion losses with a contention that these need further attention than has hitherto been the ...