ISGAN ANNEX 7

SMART GRIDS TRANSITIONS

On Institutional Change
ERA-NET SG+ Knowledge Community, Vienna, 19.5.2015
Klaus Kubeczko, Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT)

Focus of Annex 7
Institutional Change and its Orchestration
Strategic long-term thinking in alternative transformative pathways
Distributed grids Low-, Medium Voltage Levels
Task 1: Transition Processes and Pathways

Learn from past transitions (e.g. historical cases of electricity grid transition)
Understand and model the dynamics of transitions (Agent Based Modelling, interdisciplinary concepts)
Design and evaluate transition pathways towards alternative smart socio-technical energy systems built on
smart grids (encourage the use of participatory methods for stakeholder involvement)

Task 2: Smart Reflexive Governance

Systematic information collection and analysis of policies supporting socio-technical transitions

Developing a Strategic Research Agenda for Smart Governance - Investigating the evidence base for a
Smart Grid Foresight
Developing a design for a participatory Smart Grid Foresight pilot (e.g Austrian SRA-Intelligent Energy
Networks)

Participants to the Annex 7

Country

Name

Organization

Austria
Belgium
France

Klaus Kubeczko
Manfred Paier
Erik Laes
Regine Belhomme

Italy

Andrea Ricci

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Innovation Systems

Department (Vienna)
VITO (Flanders)
EDF R&D, Economic and Technical Analysis of Energy Systems
Department (Paris)
ISIS Institute of Studies for the Integration of Systems (Rome)

Netherland

Geert Verbong

Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Technology

Management, Technology and Sustainability Studies (Eindhoven)

Sweden

Harald Rohracher
Bjrn Sanden

Linkping University (Linkping)

Chalmers University (Gothenburg)

Germany

Ludwig Karg

B.A.U.M. Consult AG (Munich)

Canada

Ian Rowlands

United States

Tbd.

University of Waterloo, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy

(Waterloo)
U.S. Department of Energy

ANNEX 7
SMART GRID TRANSITION ON INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

LinkedIn - Discussion Group

The purpose of SMART GRID TRANSITION is to establish and maintain a
network of researchers and practitioners dealing with smart grid
deployment in the wider context of a long-term socio-technical transition
towards a low-carbon economy.
The Smart Grid Transition Group is open to qualified smart grid policy
leaders, decision-makers, researchers, economists, analysts, students and
journalists. Fellows at professional, technical & scientific societies; national
academies; government, foundation & university programs are also welcome!
The group covers current issues related to the socio-technical transition of
energy systems based on Smart Grid solutions, policies, institutions, law,
regulation, strategy, models, research, reflexive governance and
orchestration processes. It does not cover technological issues independently
of the socio-economic and institutional context.

Smart Grid
Technologies

Smart
Institutional
Structures

Smart Grid
Transition
Smart Actors

Smart
Governance
Processes

Transition Governance

7. Replication

Orchestration

Institutional Change
Grid operators
CEER
Electrotechnical industry
ICT sector
Cyber security
Storage providers?

Electricity grid
Directive 2009/72/EC
SGAM

SG visions
of actor groups
e.g.

Power of cognitive frames

What is in the centre of most Smart Grid representations?

SCIAC Cyber security -> Blackbox (ICT / electricity grid)

Metering International -> Smart meters in small households
Semiconductor Professionals -> Electricity Production
SG Technology Platform -> the market
AEG Grid Power -> The grid control
CLP Power Hong Kong -> end user and prosumer

What is common to most Smart Grid representations?

All see Storage/Conversion as a key component

How is the Storage-function positioned in Standardisation?

But it is in SGAM hidden as part of DER

How is the Storage function regulated in Directive 2009/72/EC?

No mention not defined !

 2010 CLP Power Hong Kong Limited

 SMARTGRIDS Austria

Smart Grid Architecture Model

(SGAM)

Missing Storage / conversion

domain

Priority areas of policy change (1)

Through a survey of ISGAN national delegates, research on the key challenges of
transitioning to a smart grid, and the Smart Grid Transition Workshop in Shanghai
2015, Annex 7 identified the following 3 priority areas of policy change:
1 Strategies & Policies for the Smart Grid Transition
Intensifying the coordination of policymakers and stakeholders across policy
fields (energy, climate, mobility ) and sectors (ICT, mobility, district heating )
in reaction to the increased complexity of both technological and socio-economic
components of smart grids
Overcoming short-term policy orientation with a movement towards long-term
plans that are politically robust (e.g. resilient to disappointment cycles, adaptive
to changing framework conditions)
Setting up a new institutional framework for smart grids including
market rules (e.g., allowing for new actor groups to emerge),
consumer protection protocols/laws, and
data security

Incentivizing institutional change, such as by supporting new business models for

efficient use and storage of electricity from distributed energy resources

Priority areas of policy change (2)

2 Orchestration of the Smart Grid Transition
Applying a new approach of actor coordination and systemic thinking in linking
previously unconnected stakeholder groups, research disciplines and sectors as
well as local communities (e.g., developing and adapting integrated visions,
roadmaps, and action plans for smart grids in the territorial context of smart cities)
Intensifying the involvement of stakeholders in energy transitions and
establishing an effective information exchange platform, being more inclusive of
civil society organizations
Creating a monitoring and assessment framework for the replicability of
demonstration projects and socio-economic effects of new technologies
Improving data availability and developing relevant indicators for monitoring
smart grid transitions
Generating knowledge and capacity building about the human factor, including a
differentiated view on needs, values and social practices of citizens, customers
and consumers

Priority areas of policy change (3)

3 Innovation & Transition Process Support
Fostering new initiatives for capacity building and training, including new
curricula for smart grid engineers and transdisciplinary research teams
Developing user oriented business models for demand side management and the
integration of renewable energy sources
Developing and implementing innovative financial models for re-/investment in
new infrastructure and risk reduction in turbulent times, e.g. investor forums
Replicating and upscaling innovative smart grid solutions effectively and quickly
through new business models and institutional innovations
Speeding up innovation processes including incentive structures and action
spaces, e.g. living labs allowing exemptions from regulatory restrictions to test
new business models
Setting up customer outreach and communication programs

We need to more bold thinking

OA Contact
KLAUS KUBECZKO
Research Coordinator - Transition Governance

Innovation Systems Department

Research, Technology and Innovation Policy
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
Donau-City-Strae 1 | 1220 Vienna | Austria
T +43(0) 50550-4566 | F +43(0) 50550-4599
klaus.kubeczko@ait.ac.at | http://www.ait.ac.at

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