Digitally mediated decarbon communities in energy transition DigiDecarbon

Basic project information

The “demand side” of the market, actions by citizens as consumers and producers of to low carbon energy now plays an increasing role in the decarbonization of energy and built environment that are the largest carbon polluters in EU. The synergies between energy and digital technologies open new opportunities for novel forms of citizen and community action.

We investigate the new digitally mediated energy communities in Finland:

  • Aalto University studies the forms and dynamics of digitally enabled citizen energy communities;
  • University of Vaasa focuses on the presently emerging collaborative business ecosystems related to them;
  • Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) examines the recent policy reforms and policy coherence related to energy communities as well as the role of public sector.

The consortium also studies the potential of wide digitalized participation arenas for elaborating the future pathways of energy communities. DigiDecarbon is part of a networked competence cluster that is comprised of academic, policy, industry and practitioner actors who focus on the demand side of the energy transition. Consortium is lead by Aalto University, Department of Design, Prof Sampsa Hyysalo.

Publications (updated April 2024):

  • Auvinen,K., Meriläinen, T., Saikku, L., Hyysalo, S., & Juntunen, J.K. (2023) Accelerating transition toward district heating-system decarbonization by policy co-design with key investors: opportunities and challenges, Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 19:1, DOI: 10.1080/15487733.2023.2256622
  • Apajalahti, E.-L., Ruggiero, S., Lukkarinen, J.P., Laakso, S. (2023). Exploring Tensions in Urban Energy Communities. In Energy Communities and Smart Cities in Sokołowski, M. M., & Visvizi, A. (Eds.) Routledge handbook of energy communities and smart cities. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003280118 
  • Boon, W., Magnusson, T., Hyysalo, S., (2022). Introduction to ‘Markets in sustainability transitions’. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 45, 30–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2022.08.006
  • Hyysalo, S., & Juntunen, J. K. (2024). Series of configurational movements: User activities in technology generalization. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 200, 123158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123158
  • Hyysalo, S., Heiskanen, E., Lukkarinen, J.P., Matschoss, K., Jalas, M., Kivimaa, P., Juntunen, J.K., Moilanen, F., Murto, P., Primmer, E., (2022). Market intermediation and its embeddedness – Lessons from the Finnish energy transition. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 42, 184–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2021.12.004
  • Kivimaa, P., Lukkarinen, J.P., Lazarevic, D., (2023). Analysis of Covid-19 Recovery and Resilience Policy in Finland: A Transformative Policy Mix Approach. Science and Public Policy 50 (4) pp. 681–694. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scad016 
  • Laakso, S., Eranti, V., Lukkarinen, J. (2023). Practices and acts of energy citizenship. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2023.2251915 
  • Lukkarinen, J.P., Salo, M., Faehnle, M., Saarikoski, H. Hyysalo, S., Auvinen, K., Kangas, H.-L., Lähteenoja, S., Marttila, T., Peltonen, L., (2023). Citizen Energy Lost in Sustainability Transitions: Knowledge co-production in a complex governance context. Energy Research and Social Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102932
  • Lähteenoja, S., Hyysalo, S., Lukkarinen, J.P., Marttila, T., Saarikoski, H., Faehnle, M., Peltonen, L., (2022). What does it take to study learning in transitions? A case of citizen energy in Finland. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2022.2109316
  • Lähteenoja, S., Marttila, T., Gaziulusoy, I  & Hyysalo, S.  (2023) Transition co-design dynamics in high level policy processes. Design Studies Vol 88 No. C 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2023.101207 
  • Marttila, T., Lukkarinen, J., Hyysalo, S., Lazarevic, D., Valve, H., (2024). Mid-range transition arenas catalysing changes towards a circular economy. In “Routledge Handbook of Catalysts for a Sustainable Circular Economy”, Routledge. Jokinen, P. & Jokinen, A. (eds.), pp. 339-358.
  • Ruokamo, E., Laukkanen, M., Karhinen, S., Kopsakangas-Savolainen, M. & Svento, R. (2023). Innovators, followers and laggards in home solar PV: Factors driving diffusion in Finland. Energy Research & Social Science, 102, 103183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.103183 
  • Shakeel, S. R., Yousaf, H., Irfan, M., & Rajala, A. (2023). Solar PV adoption at household level: Insights based on a systematic literature review. Energy Strategy Reviews, 50, 101178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2023.101178
  • Shakeel, S. R., Juntunen, J. K., & Rajala, A. (2024). Business models for enhanced solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption: Transforming customer interaction and engagement practices. Solar Energy, 268,112324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2024.112324
  • Silvast, A., Williams, R., Hyysalo, S., Rommetveit. K. and Raab, C. (2022) Producing the ‘user’ in smart technologies: A framework for examining user representations in smart grids and smart metering infrastructure. Routledge Handbook of Smart technologies – An Economic and Social Perspective” (eds) Heinz D. Kurz, Marlies Schütz, Rita Strohmaier, Stella S. Zilian. Routledge: New York
  • Tolonen, E., Shakeel, S. R., & Juntunen, J. K. (2023). Promoting Just Transition or Enhancing Inequalities? Reflection on Different Energy Community Business Models in Terms of Energy Justice. In M. Shafie-khah & A. S. Gazafroudi (Eds.), Trading in Local Energy Markets and Energy Communities (Vol. 93, pp. 151–180). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21402-8_6
  • Tuomela, S., Hänninen, T., Ruokamo, E., Iivari, N., Kopsakangas-Savolainen, M., Svento, R. (2023). Energy Community Preferences of Solar Prosumers and Electricity Consumers in the Digital Energy Ecosystem. In: Shafie-khah, M., Gazafroudi, A.S. (eds) Trading in Local Energy Markets and Energy Communities. Lecture Notes in Energy, vol 93. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21402-8_4
  • Tuomela, S., Iivari, N., Hänninen, T. and Svento, R. (2023). Gender inclusiveness in adoption and use of home energy technologies. ECIS23 research papers. https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2023_rp/249/
  • Valve, H., Lazarevic, D., Hyysalo, S., Lukkarinen, J., Marttila, T. 2023. The interrupting capacities of knowledge co-production experiments: A sociology of testing approach. Environmental Science & Policy 147: 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.019 
  • Faehnle, M., Lukkarinen, J., Santala, I. (2022). Energiakriisi ja kollektiivinen toimijuus kunnissa. Alue ja ympäristö 51:2, https://doi.org/10.30663/ay.122925.
  • Numminen, S., Silvikko, M. & Hyysalo, S (2023) Päälämmityslähteestä monilämmitykseen: suomalaisista pientaloista on tullut toisiaan täydentävien ja vuorottelevien energiajärjestelmien hybrideitä. Alue ja Ympäristö 52 (1) 62-76. https://doi.org/10.30663/ay.125979
Published 2022-02-02 at 9:45, updated 2024-04-24 at 10:51

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