Abstract
Acting to preserve our planet as much as possible is no longer optional in today's world. To do so, Smart Grids within the framework of electrical networks - involving not only Distribution System Operators (DSOs), but also consumers in their Energy Demand Management (EDM) activity - represent an innovative and sustainable solution. However, the integration of Smart Grids into network management or into consumers' homes implies changes at several levels: organizational, social, psychological, etc. This is why it is essential to consider the human factor in the design of the technologies used in these Smart Grids. This paper proposes the integration of DSO operators and consumers within a user-centered evaluation approach in order to design Smart Grids that are sufficiently acceptable to users to enable Positive Energy Territories that produce more energy than they consume. This demonstration will be illustrated by the VERTPOM® project aiming at facilitating the use of renewable energies specific to each territory in order to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and make the territories less dependent on traditional energies, and thus make Picardy (in France) a Positive Energy Territory. This paper presents the user-centered evaluation approach applied to three technologies (i.e., the VERTPOM-BANK® supervision tool intended for DSO operators, the private web portal and the IBox smart meter intended for households) from the upstream design phase to the implementation of the technologies in real-life situations.
Highlights
The Commission de Régulation de l'Energie (CRE) defines Smart Grids as "an energy network that integrates information and communication technologies, contributing to an improvement in its operation and to the development of new uses such as auto-consumption, the electric vehicle or storage"
The two operators seem to be quite similar in terms of technophilia: in general, the Distribution System Operators (DSOs) technical manager being slightly less comfortable or up to date when it comes to new technologies, especially in the recreational sphere, than the technical assistant
The objective of our paper was to propose a user-centered assessment approach to design useful and usable Smart Grids with a good User eXperience (UX) in order to promote their acceptance, and to illustrate the use of such an approach in the VERTPOM® project. This approach was applied to two complex technologies and mobilized two types of users: the VERTPOM-BANK® software intended for DSO operators and the "private web portal / IBox" system intended for consumers
Summary
The Commission de Régulation de l'Energie (CRE) defines Smart Grids as "an energy network that integrates information and communication technologies, contributing to an improvement in its operation and to the development of new uses such as auto-consumption, the electric vehicle or storage". For users to have optimal management of their energy and water consumption, Smart Grids must match the Energy Demand Management (EDM) practices of consumers. Jansen et al (2020) identified 75 laboratories conducting research on Smart Grids, of which 58 are located in Europe According to these authors, 91% of the laboratories identified are conducting research in the field of production and distribution of energy resources, and 55 laboratories are conducting parallel research on energy storage. In view of these figures, there would appear to be a strong interest jsd.ccsenet.org
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
