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Circular Economy Integration in Smart Grids: A Nexus for Sustainability

Reindl, Katharina LU ; Dalhammar, Carl LU and Brodén, Emma (2024) In Circular Economy and Sustainability 4(3). p.2119-2145
Abstract
The increased electrification of society and the development of smart grids are often seen
as central in the transition towards a more sustainable and secure energy system and necessary
to address the challenges of increasing energy demand and limited resources. There
are many visions and ideas on what a smart grid is or could be. While most research related
to environmental impacts on the smart grid focuses on the energy and climate implications,
there is a growing interest in looking into material aspects and resource use, i.e., the Circular
Economy (CE) dimensions of the grid. It is increasingly understood that the various
technologies in the grid, such as grid infrastructure and electric vehicles, will... (More)
The increased electrification of society and the development of smart grids are often seen
as central in the transition towards a more sustainable and secure energy system and necessary
to address the challenges of increasing energy demand and limited resources. There
are many visions and ideas on what a smart grid is or could be. While most research related
to environmental impacts on the smart grid focuses on the energy and climate implications,
there is a growing interest in looking into material aspects and resource use, i.e., the Circular
Economy (CE) dimensions of the grid. It is increasingly understood that the various
technologies in the grid, such as grid infrastructure and electric vehicles, will require massive
amounts of natural resources. This research explores how smart grids can integrate CE
considerations and the current state of knowledge related to CE issues in smart grid discussions
in Sweden. The main methods employed were a literature review and semi-structured
interviews with 19 stakeholders. The results show that limited literature deals directly with
how CE issues can be integrated with smart grid development. The interviews show that
various stakeholders have started to discuss these issues, but the discussion is still in its
infancy for most of them. The interviewees also pointed to several barriers to developing a
more “circular” grid, such as regulatory frameworks, network maintenance, financing, and
cost considerations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Circular Economy and Sustainability
volume
4
issue
3
pages
2119 - 2145
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85194143223
ISSN
2730-5988
DOI
10.1007/s43615-024-00375-5
project
Electricity transition through intermediaries? Consultants in the smart grid development
Resource-Efficient and Effective Solutions based on Circular Economy Thinking - Phase 2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d400354c-a401-4e19-9ec1-f41150867dc1
date added to LUP
2024-05-27 13:34:25
date last changed
2024-10-14 11:56:54
@article{d400354c-a401-4e19-9ec1-f41150867dc1,
  abstract     = {{The increased electrification of society and the development of smart grids are often seen<br/>as central in the transition towards a more sustainable and secure energy system and necessary<br/>to address the challenges of increasing energy demand and limited resources. There<br/>are many visions and ideas on what a smart grid is or could be. While most research related<br/>to environmental impacts on the smart grid focuses on the energy and climate implications,<br/>there is a growing interest in looking into material aspects and resource use, i.e., the Circular<br/>Economy (CE) dimensions of the grid. It is increasingly understood that the various<br/>technologies in the grid, such as grid infrastructure and electric vehicles, will require massive<br/>amounts of natural resources. This research explores how smart grids can integrate CE<br/>considerations and the current state of knowledge related to CE issues in smart grid discussions<br/>in Sweden. The main methods employed were a literature review and semi-structured<br/>interviews with 19 stakeholders. The results show that limited literature deals directly with<br/>how CE issues can be integrated with smart grid development. The interviews show that<br/>various stakeholders have started to discuss these issues, but the discussion is still in its<br/>infancy for most of them. The interviewees also pointed to several barriers to developing a<br/>more “circular” grid, such as regulatory frameworks, network maintenance, financing, and<br/>cost considerations.}},
  author       = {{Reindl, Katharina and Dalhammar, Carl and Brodén, Emma}},
  issn         = {{2730-5988}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{2119--2145}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Circular Economy and Sustainability}},
  title        = {{Circular Economy Integration in Smart Grids: A Nexus for Sustainability}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s43615-024-00375-5}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s43615-024-00375-5}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}