Social energy consumption and energy storage

Is energy consumption a social activity?

Energy is consumed in social environments and in the presence of social peers. But social interactions do not just happen alongside energy behaviour — the two are intrinsically linked. People do not only consume energy in isolation. Many if not most energy consumption activities are social activities.

What was sociological research on energy consumption in the 1980s and 1990s?

In the 1980s and 1990s, sociological research on energy consumption was scarce and also tended to rely on individualized approaches to consumers’ conscious choices. Consumption was predominantly analyzed as a means of communicating to others one’s lifestyle, social status, and individual identity.

Is energy consumption an ingredient of social practices?

Indeed, a key advance in the understanding of energy consumption made possible with the contribution of practice theory is the acknowledgment that energy is an ingredient of social practices, as claimed by Shove and Walker (2014), in accordance with Schatzki’s (2010) view of material phenomena as part of society.

How do social relations affect energy consumption?

As Tom Hargreaves and Lucie Middlemiss illustrate in their Perspective, these interactions extend beyond explicit energy-relevant behaviours such as managing home temperature or adopting energy efficient technology. Rather, social relations fundamentally impact all aspects of daily routines and consequently when, why and how people consume energy.

Should energy use be a social process?

As proposed by Lutzenheiser (1993), research should go beyond individualized approaches focused on prices and attitudes and, with households and communities as units of analysis, should consider energy use as a social process.

What are the benefits of energy storage?

In cases where extreme weather events could affect the reliability of the power infrastructure, storage can maintain electric service, support critical loads, and enhance grid resilience. A valuable, but less examined, benefit of energy storage is its ability to contribute to the just energy transition.