Future Home Demand: Anticipating energy and everyday life trends across three Victorian networks
The Future Home Demand project, a collaborative research project between CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy, and Monash University's Emerging Technologies Research Lab, is taking an innovative approach to energy forecasting by focusing on the everyday lives and futures of Australian households.
“I guess I have a level of optimism that if, with our smart devices, we can modify our behaviours in certain ways that can allow the grid not to fail, that in itself is a good enough incentive.”
— Research Participant
With the world facing unprecedented change due to the energy transition, emerging digital and energy technologies, as well as increasing health concerns and extreme weather events, relying solely on historic trends to plan for the future of the energy system is no longer sufficient. Better understanding people, household plans and desires for the future is crucial to planning for the future energy system.
To achieve this, the research team at Monash undertook in-depth design ethnographic research with households, and informed the design of a survey for CitiPower, United Energy, and Powercor customers. Findings will be incorporated into new forecasting insights that ensure household realities, priorities, and desires are at the heart of the future energy system.
This project is funded CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy.
Link to reports and media
Read the Future Home Demand report
Read the Future Home Demand Executive summary
Investigators
Monash University: Professor Yolande Strengers, Professor Sarah Pink, Dr. Kari Dahlgren, Dr. Larissa Nicholls
Researchers
Monash University: Dr. Hannah Korsmeyer, Dr. Fareed Kaviani, Dr. Rex Martin
Partners
CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy
Contact: Dr Kari Dahlgren