IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v193y2024ics0301421524002234.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The role of digital social practices and technologies in the Swiss energy transition towards net-zero carbon dioxide emissions in 2050

Author

Listed:
  • Stermieri, L.
  • Kober, T.
  • McKenna, R.
  • Schmidt, T.J.
  • Panos, E.

Abstract

Digitalization can be an enabler of new and less energy-intensive lifestyles. However, it can be associated with rebound effects in energy consumption. For example, home office can reduce the mobility demand but increase residential energy consumption. Here, we analyze the role of households' social practices induced by information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Switzerland's transition to net-zero carbon dioxide emissions in 2050. We couple the Swiss TIMES Energy Systems Model with a socio-technical-economic agent-based model (SEED) to perform long-term pathway analysis by accounting for the socio-economic and technical aspects of technology adoption. We find an overall net-positive contribution of digitalization to the Swiss energy transition. A society adopting more digital practices and ICTs requires 10–20% less energy in 2050 than a society with a digitalization rate frozen at 2020 levels. We show that any rebound effects in energy consumption that digital practices can induce are counterbalanced by more efficient technologies and optimized processes enabled by ICTs. While digitalization helps to meet the Swiss energy and climate targets for 2050 and reduces the energy transition costs for society, policy support is necessary to develop the population's digital skills, services' digitalization, and network infrastructures.

Suggested Citation

  • Stermieri, L. & Kober, T. & McKenna, R. & Schmidt, T.J. & Panos, E., 2024. "The role of digital social practices and technologies in the Swiss energy transition towards net-zero carbon dioxide emissions in 2050," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:193:y:2024:i:c:s0301421524002234
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114203
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421524002234
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114203?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cayla, Jean-Michel & Maïzi, Nadia, 2015. "Integrating household behavior and heterogeneity into the TIMES-Households model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 56-67.
    2. Zhang, Zhihui & Jing, Rui & Lin, Jian & Wang, Xiaonan & van Dam, Koen H. & Wang, Meng & Meng, Chao & Xie, Shan & Zhao, Yingru, 2020. "Combining agent-based residential demand modeling with design optimization for integrated energy systems planning and operation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    3. Zuberi, M. Jibran S. & Tijdink, Anton & Patel, Martin K., 2017. "Techno-economic analysis of energy efficiency improvement in electric motor driven systems in Swiss industry," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 85-104.
    4. Walzberg, Julien & Dandres, Thomas & Merveille, Nicolas & Cheriet, Mohamed & Samson, Réjean, 2019. "Assessing behavioural change with agent-based life cycle assessment: Application to smart homes," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 365-376.
    5. Bastida, Leire & Cohen, Jed J. & Kollmann, Andrea & Moya, Ana & Reichl, Johannes, 2019. "Exploring the role of ICT on household behavioural energy efficiency to mitigate global warming," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 455-462.
    6. Brugger, Heike & Eichhammer, Wolfgang & Mikova, Nadezhda & Dönitz, Ewa, 2021. "Energy Efficiency Vision 2050: How will new societal trends influence future energy demand in the European countries?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    7. Fortes, Patrícia & Pereira, Rui & Pereira, Alfredo & Seixas, Júlia, 2014. "Integrated technological-economic modeling platform for energy and climate policy analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 716-730.
    8. Evangelos Panos & Stavroula Margelou, 2019. "Long-Term Solar Photovoltaics Penetration in Single- and Two-Family Houses in Switzerland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-33, June.
    9. Varun Rai & Adam Douglas Henry, 2016. "Agent-based modelling of consumer energy choices," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(6), pages 556-562, June.
    10. Sachs, Julia & Meng, Yiming & Giarola, Sara & Hawkes, Adam, 2019. "An agent-based model for energy investment decisions in the residential sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 752-768.
    11. Li, Francis G.N. & Trutnevyte, Evelina & Strachan, Neil, 2015. "A review of socio-technical energy transition (STET) models," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 290-305.
    12. Arnulf Grubler & Charlie Wilson & Nuno Bento & Benigna Boza-Kiss & Volker Krey & David L. McCollum & Narasimha D. Rao & Keywan Riahi & Joeri Rogelj & Simon Stercke & Jonathan Cullen & Stefan Frank & O, 2018. "A low energy demand scenario for meeting the 1.5 °C target and sustainable development goals without negative emission technologies," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 3(6), pages 515-527, June.
    13. Vrain, E. & Wilson, C. & Kerr, L. & Wilson, M., 2022. "Social influence in the adoption of digital consumer innovations for climate change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    14. Vrain, Emilie & Wilson, Charlie & Andrews, Barnaby, 2022. "The discontinuance of low carbon digital products and services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    15. Daly, Hannah E. & Ramea, Kalai & Chiodi, Alessandro & Yeh, Sonia & Gargiulo, Maurizio & Gallachóir, Brian Ó, 2014. "Incorporating travel behaviour and travel time into TIMES energy system models," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 429-439.
    16. Walzberg, Julien & Dandres, Thomas & Merveille, Nicolas & Cheriet, Mohamed & Samson, Réjean, 2020. "Should we fear the rebound effect in smart homes?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    17. María Verónica Alderete, 2017. "Examining the ICT access effect on socioeconomic development: the moderating role of ICT use and skills," Information Technology for Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 42-58, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Knobloch, Florian & Pollitt, Hector & Chewpreecha, Unnada & Lewney, Richard & Huijbregts, Mark A.J. & Mercure, Jean-Francois, 2021. "FTT:Heat — A simulation model for technological change in the European residential heating sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    2. Florian Knobloch & Hector Pollitt & Unnada Chewpreecha & Vassilis Daioglou & Jean-Francois Mercure, 2017. "Simulating the deep decarbonisation of residential heating for limiting global warming to 1.5C," Papers 1710.11019, arXiv.org, revised May 2018.
    3. Pye, Steve & Daly, Hannah, 2015. "Modelling sustainable urban travel in a whole systems energy model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 97-107.
    4. Koasidis, Konstantinos & Marinakis, Vangelis & Nikas, Alexandros & Chira, Katerina & Flamos, Alexandros & Doukas, Haris, 2022. "Monetising behavioural change as a policy measure to support energy management in the residential sector: A case study in Greece," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Chang, Miguel & Lund, Henrik & Thellufsen, Jakob Zinck & Østergaard, Poul Alberg, 2023. "Perspectives on purpose-driven coupling of energy system models," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    6. John Barrett & Steve Pye & Sam Betts-Davies & Oliver Broad & James Price & Nick Eyre & Jillian Anable & Christian Brand & George Bennett & Rachel Carr-Whitworth & Alice Garvey & Jannik Giesekam & Greg, 2022. "Energy demand reduction options for meeting national zero-emission targets in the United Kingdom," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 7(8), pages 726-735, August.
    7. Ramea, Kalai & Bunch, David S. & Yang, Christopher & Yeh, Sonia & Ogden, Joan M., 2018. "Integration of behavioral effects from vehicle choice models into long-term energy systems optimization models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 663-676.
    8. Femke J. M. M. Nijsse & Jean-Francois Mercure & Nadia Ameli & Francesca Larosa & Sumit Kothari & Jamie Rickman & Pim Vercoulen & Hector Pollitt, 2023. "The momentum of the solar energy transition," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. Salvucci, Raffaele & Gargiulo, Maurizio & Karlsson, Kenneth, 2019. "The role of modal shift in decarbonising the Scandinavian transport sector: Applying substitution elasticities in TIMES-Nordic," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C), pages 1-1.
    10. Wang, Lei & Chen, Yangyang & Ramsey, Thomas Stephen & Hewings, Geoffrey J.D., 2021. "Will researching digital technology really empower green development?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    11. Wang, Jen Chun, 2022. "Understanding the energy consumption of information and communications equipment: A case study of schools in Taiwan," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    12. Salvucci, Raffaele & Tattini, Jacopo & Gargiulo, Maurizio & Lehtilä, Antti & Karlsson, Kenneth, 2018. "Modelling transport modal shift in TIMES models through elasticities of substitution," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 740-751.
    13. Thiel, Christian & Nijs, Wouter & Simoes, Sofia & Schmidt, Johannes & van Zyl, Arnold & Schmid, Erwin, 2016. "The impact of the EU car CO2 regulation on the energy system and the role of electro-mobility to achieve transport decarbonisation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 153-166.
    14. Han, Yawen & Du, Xin & Zhang, Hengming & Ni, Jinfeng & Fan, Fengyan, 2024. "Does smart home adoption reduce household electricity-related CO2 emissions? ——Evidence from Hangzhou city, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    15. Dominković, D.F. & Weinand, J.M. & Scheller, F. & D'Andrea, M. & McKenna, R., 2022. "Reviewing two decades of energy system analysis with bibliometrics," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    16. Price, James & Keppo, Ilkka, 2017. "Modelling to generate alternatives: A technique to explore uncertainty in energy-environment-economy models," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 356-369.
    17. DeCarolis, Joseph & Daly, Hannah & Dodds, Paul & Keppo, Ilkka & Li, Francis & McDowall, Will & Pye, Steve & Strachan, Neil & Trutnevyte, Evelina & Usher, Will & Winning, Matthew & Yeh, Sonia & Zeyring, 2017. "Formalizing best practice for energy system optimization modelling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 184-198.
    18. Fabian Scheller & Frauke Wiese & Jann Michael Weinand & Dominik Franjo Dominkovi'c & Russell McKenna, 2021. "An expert survey to assess the current status and future challenges of energy system analysis," Papers 2106.15518, arXiv.org.
    19. Fodstad, Marte & Crespo del Granado, Pedro & Hellemo, Lars & Knudsen, Brage Rugstad & Pisciella, Paolo & Silvast, Antti & Bordin, Chiara & Schmidt, Sarah & Straus, Julian, 2022. "Next frontiers in energy system modelling: A review on challenges and the state of the art," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    20. Sarıca, Kemal & Harputlugil, Gulsu U. & İnaner, Gulfem & Kollugil, Esin Tetik, 2023. "Building sector emission reduction assessment from a developing European economy: A bottom-up modelling approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:193:y:2024:i:c:s0301421524002234. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.