Information-based feedback system to steer residential demand-side management : raising environmental awareness to facilitate just transition

Abstract

The transition to a sustainable energy system requires active participation from residential consumers, particularly through demand-side management (DSM). The thesis explores the potential of an information-based feedback system to steer residential electricity consumption in more environmentally conscious and flexible ways. While DSM strategies are increasingly promoted, many existing solutions fail to engage users effectively, especially in low-income households with high energy consumption and limited access to energy-efficient technologies, also known as energy-vulnerable households.

The conceptual framework for the feedback system delivers key environmental indicators such as weather conditions, electricity price, CO2 emissions, share of renewable energy, and share of domestic generation in an engaging format. Drawing from literature and identifying drawbacks in current DSM solutions, this study also proposes recommendations for three diverse groups of people with different ages, house types, disposable income, geographic location, and heating types.

It highlights the importance of timed electricity consumption in reducing environmental impacts and avoiding unnecessary expansion of energy infrastructure. The thesis contributes to the development of equitable, information-driven DSM strategies by emphasizing accessibility, personalization, and environmental transparency to reach a collective technical deferrable load to respond to grid demand in case of emergency. Future work should focus on piloting the system through collaborative app development and testing its impact on real-world energy behavior.