Modelling How Information and Communication Technologies Can Change the Energy Use in Stockholm’s Södermalm District

Abstract: This master’s thesis is a contribution to the cross-disciplinary research project SitCit that addresses the issue of urban sustainable development. It aims to investigate how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be used to reduce the energy use and increase the energy demand flexibility in Stockholm’s Södermalm district. This study uses a bottom-up approach to model how ICT can change the energy use. The basis of the approach is the human activities that cause demand for services, delivered by different appliances, which in turn use energy to provide these services. The human activities are represented by Human Activity Systems (HAS) and the different appliances by Energy Usage Systems (EUS). A method for defining an energy system with a bottom-up approach was developed and used to build a conceptual model. Relevant ICT solutions were thereafter identified and described both technically and how they interact with the HAS, the EUS and the surroundings to change the energy use by means of automation, information and persuasion. It was also assessed how and when planning and implementation of ICT can be achieved, and who are the involved actors. The findings were compiled into an integrated qualitative model which was split into two parts, one that illustrates the interrelatedness of the different components expressed in terms of information flows, and one that shows who are the actors involved in the strategies to implement the various ICT solutions. Weaknesses in the bottom-up approach were identified and changes were suggested. The HAS should be split into human activities and what can be denoted “human” since most information flows due to ICT are not with the actual activities. The human can communicate through and with ICT. He or she can decide the activities and how much of them should be carried out, and is also the most important actor when it comes to the implementation of ICT. Furthermore, it was found that the coupling of HAS and EUS is weak, and time-use data and actual measurements on the energy use is therefore needed as input to a quantitative model. This study explains and illustrates how different ICT solutions work and how they can be implemented to change the energy use in an urban area. Together with the improvements in the bottom-up approach, and the methodological discussion, it can be used as groundwork for a quantitative model, or as a tool for decision makers to create and implement a strategy for urban sustainable development.