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When the humanities take a closer look at Smart Grids


Published 08 Septembre 2016



The development of Smart Grids against a backdrop of profound political change and the transformation of energy systems, could not leave the humanities indifferent. An increasing number of researchers in the humanities are joining economists and conducting research projects on Smart Grids. This article presents an overview of key references to dig further into the subject.

think-smartgrids-sciences-sociales-réseaux-électriquesSunset behind electric network – Photo: James Wheeler[1] in CC

Sociologists of innovation, use behaviour and the city and housing have observed the behaviour of consumers. Political scientists and economists are analysing public policy making at various levels, decrypting industrial strategies, and looking into the issues of regulation and incentives.

This momentum aims, among other things, to meet the expectations of Smart Grid projects that are increasingly interested in the findings of sociological and economic studies. Indeed, whether this is to facilitate the adoption of new technologies or defend acceptability to various stakeholders, the contributions of the humanities, in many cases make it possible to make the difference and ensure the proper implementation of a project.

The Centre of Applied Mathematics of Mines ParisTech is one of the most active research centres around the subject of Smart Grids. The centre’s director, Nadia Maïzi, holder of the Chair for Prospective Modelling in the Service of Sustainable Development, has supervised the thesis of Stéphanie BOUKAERT on the “Contribution of Smart Grids in the Energy Transition: evaluation in long terms scenarios” (2013)[2].

The prestigious Energy Policy review regularly features studies on key subjects in the development of Smart Grids, such as:

  • The adjustment of supply and demand[3],
  • Peak period management[4],
  • Approaches to microgrids[5],
  • Public policies[6],
  • Barriers to transformation of energy systems[7],
  • The role of states in the energy transition[8]),
  • Consumer behaviour[9],
  • Consom’action incentives[10],
  • Emerging domestic practices[11],
  • Smart Grid governance[12].

During the international days of the sociology of energy which took place at the University of Tours (François-Rabelais University), in July 2015, entitled “contemporary societies put to the test of energy transitions”, around thirty presentations were made on the context and the conditions for the development of Smart Grids. Four presentations were specifically on Smart Grids:

  • Issues of acceptability and conditions of ownership of Smart Grids”[13],
  • Social acceptance or socio-political, collective and market conditions for the development of innovations in the field of energy?”[14],
  • Measuring, pricing, selling electricity. The place the end user client in the process of designing and managing communicating electricity meters”[15],
  • “Technology is the answer. But what was the question ?”[16].

Another indicator of the interest of the social sciences around the issue of Smart Grid is the number of PhD, especially young researchers, some of whom are conducting very specific theses:

  • Economics: Dynamic Pricing and Smart Grids: an experimental analysis of household behavior in terms of power consumption[17],
  • Urban planning: Smart Grid, from the neighborhood to city levels: for a rationalization of consumption and local production of energy[18],
  • Political Science: Impact of the Linky smart meter on public policy regarding energy and sustainable development in France[19],
  • Sociology: From Smart Grids to the communicating electricity meter: genesis and experiments of a service relationship tool[20],
  • Urbanism: Climate and energy imperatives, Smart Grids and the territorial question: what territorial energy governance for the distribution of electricity?[21].

All this work is the result of a concerted effort of the Smart Grid industry to take into account all the social and economic parameters in the process of developing a unique French offer. If the contribution of new technologies are undeniable, their proper use in a variety of contexts remains a unique challenge, but one around with Smart Grid players in France are actively mobilized.

ITEMS International pour Think Smartgrids

[1] https://www.flickr.com/photos/24128704@N08/10355017174/,
[2] https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/pastel-00959266/document,
[3] Ghasem Derakhshan, Heidar Ali Shayanfar, Ahad Kazemi, The optimization of demand response programs in smart grids, Energy Policy, Volume 94, July 2016, Pages 295-306, ISSN 0301-4215, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.04.009,
[4] A. Zhuk, Yu. Zeigarnik, E. Buzoverov, A. Sheindlin, Managing peak loads in energy grids: Comparative economic analysis, Energy Policy, Volume 88, January 2016, Pages 39-44, ISSN 0301-4215, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.10.006,
[5] Ahmad F. Taha, Nadim A. Hachem, Jitesh H. Panchal, A Quasi-Feed-In-Tariff policy formulation in micro-grids: A bi-level multi-period approach, Energy Policy, Volume 71, August 2014
[6] Stephen Hall, Timothy J. Foxon, Values in the Smart Grid: The co-evolving political economy of smart distribution, Energy Policy, Volume 74, November 2014, Pages 600-609, ISSN 0301-4215, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.08.018,
[7] Stefan Muench, Sebastian Thuss, Edeltraud Guenther, What hampers energy system transformations? The case of smart grids, Energy Policy, Volume 73, October 2014,
[8] Daphne Ngar-yin Mah, Yun-Ying Wu, Jasper Chi-man Ip, Peter Ronald Hills, The role of the state in sustainable energy transitions: A case study of large smart grid demonstration projects in Japan, Energy Policy, Volume 63, December 2013,
[9] Marta A.R. Lopes, Carlos Henggeler Antunes, Kathryn B. Janda, Paulo Peixoto, Nelson Martins, The potential of energy behaviours in a smart(er) grid: Policy implications from a Portuguese exploratory study, Energy Policy, Volume 90, March 2016, Pages 233-245, ISSN 0301-4215,
[10] Chan-Kook Park, Hyun-Jae Kim, Yang-Soo Kim, A study of factors enhancing smart grid consumer engagement, Energy Policy, Volume 72, September 2014,
[11] Joeri Naus, Gert Spaargaren, Bas J.M. van Vliet, Hilje M. van der Horst, Smart grids, information flows and emerging domestic energy practices, Energy Policy, Volume 68, May 2014,
[12] Christopher Koliba, Mercy DeMenno, Nancy Brune, Asim Zia, The salience and complexity of building, regulating, and governing the smart grid: Lessons from a statewide public–private partnership, Energy Policy, Volume 74, November 2014,
[13] Grandclément Catherine (sociologue GRETS, EDF R&D), Nadaï Alain (sociologue CIRED-CNRS)
[14] Fournier Pierre (Aix-Marseille Université/LAMES, UMR 7305, CNRS), Rychen Frédéric (Aix-Marseille Université/GREQAM, UMR 7316, CNRS-EHESS)
[15] Danieli Aude (doctorante CIFRE en sociologie – ENPC/LATTS ; UPEM/CNRS ; EDF R&D /GRETS)
[16] Caraës Marie-Haude (Directrice, École supérieure des Beaux-Art de Tours)
[17] Penelope Buckley, Université Grenoble Alpes
[18] Farinaz Falaki, Université de Tours
[19] Thoma Lamb, Université Paris 2
[20] Olivier Coutard, Université Paris Est
[21] Bernard Pecqueur, Université Grenoble Alpes