research-article

Autonomous Distributed Energy Systems: Problematising the Invisible through Design, Drama and Deliberation

Authors:

Larissa Pschetz,

Kruakae Pothong,

Chris SpeedAuthors Info & Claims

CHI '19: Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Paper No.: 387, Pages 1 - 14

https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300617

Published: 02 May 2019 Publication History

Abstract

Technologies such as blockchains, smart contracts and programmable batteries facilitate emerging models of energy distribution, trade and consumption, and generate a considerable number of opportunities for energy markets. However, these developments complicate relationships between stakeholders, disrupting traditional notions of value, control and ownership. Discussing these issues with the public is particularly challenging as energy consumption habits often obscure the competing values and interests that shape stakeholders' relationships. To make such difficult discussions more approachable and examine the missing relational aspect of autonomous energy systems, we combined the design of speculative hairdryers with performance and deliberation. This integrated method of inquiry makes visible the competing values and interests, eliciting people's wishes to negotiate these terms. We argue that the complexity of mediated energy distribution and its convoluted stakeholder relationships requires more sophisticated methods of inquiry to engage people in debates concerning distributed energy systems.

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Cited By

Jensen VChristensen EHansen NJensen R(2024)A Year in Energy: Imagining Energy Community Participation with a Collaborative Design FictionProceedings of the 13th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/3679318.3685355(1-15)Online publication date: 13-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3679318.3685355
Snow SKhan ADay KMatthews B(2024)Household Wattch: Exploring Opportunities for Surveillance and Consent through Families’ Household Energy Use DataACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/367322831:4(1-30)Online publication date: 19-Sep-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3673228
Kitazaki MTake R(2024)Transformations in participants —Toward citizen-led participatory speculative design to create preferable data-driven workplaces in JapanProceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2024: Exploratory Papers and Workshops - Volume 210.1145/3661455.3669889(183-189)Online publication date: 11-Aug-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3661455.3669889
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Index Terms

Autonomous Distributed Energy Systems: Problematising the Invisible through Design, Drama and Deliberation
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Interaction design
    1. Interaction design process and methods

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cover image ACM Conferences

CHI '19: Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

May 2019

9077 pages

ISBN:9781450359702

DOI:10.1145/3290605

General Chairs:
Stephen Brewster
University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
,
Geraldine Fitzpatrick
TU Wien, Austria
,
Program Chairs:
Anna Cox
University College London, UK
,
Vassilis Kostakos
University of Melbourne, Australia

Copyright © 2019 ACM.

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Published: 02 May 2019

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May 4 - 9, 2019

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Cited By

Jensen VChristensen EHansen NJensen R(2024)A Year in Energy: Imagining Energy Community Participation with a Collaborative Design FictionProceedings of the 13th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/3679318.3685355(1-15)Online publication date: 13-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3679318.3685355
Snow SKhan ADay KMatthews B(2024)Household Wattch: Exploring Opportunities for Surveillance and Consent through Families’ Household Energy Use DataACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/367322831:4(1-30)Online publication date: 19-Sep-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3673228
Kitazaki MTake R(2024)Transformations in participants —Toward citizen-led participatory speculative design to create preferable data-driven workplaces in JapanProceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2024: Exploratory Papers and Workshops - Volume 210.1145/3661455.3669889(183-189)Online publication date: 11-Aug-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3661455.3669889
Jensen VJensen R(2024)Just Share It! Designing for Justice in Peer-to-Peer Energy-sharingCompanion Publication of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3656156.3663727(266-270)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3656156.3663727
Odom WBarnett SBrand NYoo MLin HWhite J(2024)Negotiating Conceptual and Practical Frictions in Making the Capra Short Film: Extending a Research through Design Artifact with VideoProceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3643834.3660739(2866-2881)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3643834.3660739
Kuijer Lde Koning PCiolfi LHogan TDöring TJenkins Tvan Dijk JHuron SLi ZCoyle DSigner B(2024)Feeling the Heat: Uncomfortable Design Fictions for Alternative Forms of Summer ComfortProceedings of the Eighteenth International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction10.1145/3623509.3633391(1-15)Online publication date: 11-Feb-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3623509.3633391
Jensen VLaursen KJensen RSmith R(2024)Imagining Sustainable Energy Communities: Design Narratives of Future Digital Technologies, Sites, and ParticipationProceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642609(1-17)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642609
Forlano LHalpern M(2023)Speculative Histories, Just Futures: From Counterfactual Artifacts to Counterfactual ActionsACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/357721230:2(1-37)Online publication date: 13-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3577212
Dixon BChen YSerrano EPschetz L(2023)Exploring Critical Scenarios of Algorithmic Energy Distribution with the Karma Kettle GameCompanion Publication of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3563703.3596655(266-269)Online publication date: 10-Jul-2023
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Rattay SCollins RSurana ALee YLiu YMauri AUrquhart LVines JWilson CPschetz LRozendaal MShklovski I(2023)Sensing Care Through Design: A Speculative Role-play Approach to "Living with" Sensor-supported Care NetworksProceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference10.1145/3563657.3596066(1660-1675)Online publication date: 10-Jul-2023
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