The Stories of User Flexibility : An Exploration of Flexibility Capital for a Just Energy Transition

Abstract

The pending ecological crisis has ushered in a need to rethink how electricity is produced and
consumed, which in turn will require new ways of maintaining system balance. One solution that has
gained traction over the past decade is the idea of user flexibility. User flexibility is by some deemed
integral to the transition towards a low-carbon society and to the decarbonization agenda, and its
integration is commonly motivated by economic, systemic, and environmental arguments. However,
user flexibility has also received critique for potentially contributing to energy injustices, and the way in
which user flexibility will be implemented may or may not result in an unjust energy transition.
This thesis aims to understand the potential energy justice pitfalls of user flexibility by looking at the
ways in which it affects certain aspects of everyday life. This is done in part by a conceptualization that
draws on existing literature for understanding flexibility capacity, but also by adding empirical rigour to
the understanding of how user flexibility affects certain aspects of everyday life as well as how various
stakeholders (public news media, industry experts, electric vehicle users) characterize key themes
associated with user flexibility.
This thesis applies the concept of flexibility capital as a theoretical framework for analysis, which is a
concept that understands the capacity to be flexible in the use of electricity as the outcome of a set of
material, social, and temporal factors. Overall, the findings display a discrepancy between how user
flexibility is characterized publicly (by the media, industry experts, and electric vehicle users) and how it
is characterized by the energy justice literature. User flexibility is commonly associated with
decarbonization and sustainability in the media, and industry experts and electric vehicle owners tend
to characterize user flexibility as a means of increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix, a
more economical option for building new infrastructure, a means of facilitating more efficient uses of the
existing infrastructure and for balancing the system, and a more democratic form of electricity
consumption. Concurrently, analysing user flexibility from an energy justice perspective, this thesis
identifies several potential energy justice implications. User flexibility based on market principles may
cause 1) an unequal redistribution of wealth, 2) a redistribution of economic responsibility to the end-
users, 3) unequal terms of participation, 4) already affluent users to benefit, 5) increased complexity in
a manner that is particularly disadvantageous for non-involved users, and 6) diluted transparency and
accountability. The gap between the depiction of user flexibility among stakeholders vis-à-vis the
scientific literature on energy justice provides further evidence for how energy policies are primarily
informed by economics and technology.
In conclusion, the findings of this thesis showcase the need for integrating more social perspectives in
energy policy in order to avoid potential energy justice pitfalls. The findings also underline the benefits
of exploring non-financial and non-market-based incentives for facilitating user flexibility.

Abstract (Swedish)

The pending ecological crisis has ushered in a need to rethink how electricity is produced and consumed, which in turn will require new ways of maintaining system balance. One solution that has gained traction over the past decade is the idea of user flexibility. User flexibility is by some deemed integral to the transition towards a low-carbon society and to the decarbonization agenda, and its integration is commonly motivated by economic, systemic, and environmental arguments. However, user flexibility has also received critique for potentially contributing to energy injustices, and the way in which user flexibility will be implemented may or may not result in an unjust energy transition.

This thesis aims to understand the potential energy justice pitfalls of user flexibility by looking at the ways in which it affects certain aspects of everyday life. This is done in part by a conceptualization that draws on existing literature for understanding flexibility capacity, but also by adding empirical rigour to the understanding of how user flexibility affects certain aspects of everyday life as well as how various stakeholders (public news media, industry experts, electric vehicle users) characterize key themes associated with user flexibility.

This thesis applies the concept of flexibility capital as a theoretical framework for analysis, which is a concept that understands the capacity to be flexible in the use of electricity as the outcome of a set of material, social, and temporal factors. Overall, the findings display a discrepancy between how user flexibility is characterized publicly (by the media, industry experts, and electric vehicle users) and how it is characterized by the energy justice literature. User flexibility is commonly associated with decarbonization and sustainability in the media, and industry experts and electric vehicle owners tend to characterize user flexibility as a means of increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix, a more economical option for building new infrastructure, a means of facilitating more efficient uses of the existing infrastructure and for balancing the system, and a more democratic form of electricity consumption. Concurrently, analysing user flexibility from an energy justice perspective, this thesis identifies several potential energy justice implications. User flexibility based on market principles may cause 1) an unequal redistribution of wealth, 2) a redistribution of economic responsibility to the end- users, 3) unequal terms of participation, 4) already affluent users to benefit, 5) increased complexity in a manner that is particularly disadvantageous for non-involved users, and 6) diluted transparency and accountability. The gap between the depiction of user flexibility among stakeholders vis-à-vis the scientific literature on energy justice provides further evidence for how energy policies are primarily informed by economics and technology.

In conclusion, the findings of this thesis showcase the need for integrating more social perspectives in energy policy in order to avoid potential energy justice pitfalls. The findings also underline the benefits of exploring non-financial and non-market-based incentives for facilitating user flexibility.

• author: Libertson, Frans
• supervisor: Jenny Palm; Lena Neij
• opponent: Sr. Researcher Fell, Michael, University College London, United Kingdom
• organization: The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
• publishing date: 2024-04-26
• type: Thesis
• publication status: published
• subject: Other Humanities
• keywords: just energy transitions, energy justice, flexibility capital, socio-technical narratives, storytelling, just energy transitions, energy justice, flexibility capital, socio-technical narratives, storytelling
• defense location: Auditorium, International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, Tegnérsplatsen 4, Faculty of Engineering LTH, Lund University, Lund
• defense date: 2024-05-24 13:00:00
• ISBN: 978-91-87357-96-1
• ISBN: 978-91-87357-97-8
• project: Sustainable urban governance and Smart grids
• language: English
• LU publication?: yes
• id: 3ddcb000-1731-4e22-b8db-c7a036251ae2
• date added to LUP: 2024-04-26 23:46:33
• date last changed: 2024-05-13 14:13:37