Social Impact

Full Name
Intelligent Grid Social Impact

Description
This project evaluates the feasibility and impact of a variety of distributed energy technologies sited in regional communities to manage peak loads and promote sustainable energy use. The regional site chosen has been supported by a major international study (Sustaining Gondwana). This new research will make use of three years of baseline research being conducted in the South Coast of Western Australia.

Stage one is a micro case study where community stakeholders will discuss the siting of distributed energy technologies and systems within the small and medium enterprise sector in a rural community setting (Denmark, W.A.). The main aim is to assess the deployment of distributed energy technologies against human, social, economic, political and environmental considerations.  Other related aims include:

• Identifying community awareness and knowledge base of distributed energy technologies.
• Ascertaining the driving forces and barriers to distributed energy technologies in communities.
• Understanding socio-political, economic and cultural dimensions of adaptation utilising distributed energy.
• Identifying the costs and benefits of distributed energy uptake by small to medium enterprises.
• Exploring the level of community acceptance of distributed energy technologies.

Stage two examines macro socio-political forces, looking into the larger socio-political context of Western Australia’s energy developments.  Key players within the energy sector such as the regulators, generators and retailers will contribute insights about Western Australia’s energy issues and the State’s role in facilitating distributed energy as part of a future Intelligent Grid solution. The project will be able to capture the changes occurring in the Western Australia energy landscape over the period of research.

Research Team
Curtin University

Expected Outcomes
Increased community awareness and understandings of the benefits of distributed energy solutions;

Community empowerment to gain access to distributed energy solutions to deal with energy stability and sustainability issues;

Greater clarity gained about the costs, benefits and barriers to distributed energy solutions,

Enhanced understanding of the motivation and incentives required to promote actions for sustainability;

A more holistic decision-making framework for community stake holders including utility managers, planners, regulators and policy makers;

Evaluations leading decision makers to adopt distributed energy solutions that are relevant to the communities;

Future policy development can be driven by more sophisticated conceptions of DE deployment;

Constructive debate about the needs of community, business, government, and the energy supply industry in terms of the role and impact of distributed energy options.