Price mechanisms alone are insufficient to manage energy demand. SIEW Thinktank Roundtable C looked at how behavioural factors and technology could play a more significant role. Michael Heng reports
To lower carbon emissions, governments have long grappled to keep energy demand in check with a host of policies—from price mechanisms to energy efficiency programmes. Current policies, however, are proving inadequate to manage the growing energy demand. What else needs to be considered?
Panellists at SIEW Thinktank Roundtable C, helmed by the Energy Studies Institute (ESI) at the National University of Singapore, looked at how behavioural and socioeconomic factors can play a more significant role in influencing consumer choices in energy use. The speakers agreed that while overall energy demand will increase over time, technology and social nudges can make a difference.
To open the session, Dr David Broadstock, Senior Research Fellow, Energy Studies Institute, NUS, explained that factors such as price, income and temperature used to be the primary drivers of electricity demand in Singapore 30 years ago. These now account for less than half of electricity demand in a study for the period from 2005 to 2020.
Nudging consumers towards green behaviour
Prof Shunsuke Managi, Distinguished Professor of Technology and Policy, and Director of Urban Institute, Departments of Urban and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Kyushu University, highlighted how social factors may influence consumers’ energy behaviour. He cited examples of countries that reported a reduction in energy usage of as much as 20% in cases where residential users are shown how their energy consumption compares to their neighbours.
Advancing electrification efforts in Singapore
Dr Ilya Farber, Senior Scientist, Institute for High Performance Computing, A*STAR, discussed how Singapore can advance its electrification efforts by optimising the placement of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. He noted that a slow charging model, with many chargers occupied for long periods of time, is more suited for Singapore’s HDB car parks, provided that there are smart power scheduling, ample charging lots, and hogging fees.
A consumer-centric approach to smart energy usage
Mike Thomas from the Lantau Group emphasised that technology would enable smarter energy usage by value-adding to both the energy system and its customers. For consumers presenting simpler options in their day-to-day usage of electricity would be ideal while technology takes care of the underlying complexity.
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