I think every doctoral student must have a moment, usually just before they finish their thesis, when they find out that someone else has already done their research. That moment for me is now.
The Sustainable Development Commission last week published Seeing the Light, a report about “the impact of micro-generation on the way we use energy”. Some of its main findings are very similar to my research (evidence of load-switching to times of peak generation, increased awareness of electricity consumption) but it also extends my research by covering a wider range of respondents including schools, those without microgeneration, and those who acquired these technologies through their local councils.
On one hand, it’s disappointing that someone else gets to lay claim to “the first ever research into the effect of microgeneration on attitudes and behaviours in homes”. However by focusing on households who have purchased just one technology (solar photovoltaics), I’ve been able to contribute by both exploring the issues raised in the SDC’s report in greater depth (e.g. by placing the purchase and use of photovoltaics within a larger “continuum” of energy conservation and awareness actions) and by addressing additional complementary issues (e.g. by quantifying the mismatch between peak electricity generation in the daytime and peak electricity consumption in the evening and its impact on behaviour and the operation of the electricity grid). Also I’ve had a few academic publications on this topic which helps build interest from a different angle.
So congratulations to the SDC for commissioning this research and giving major exposure to this topic. Governments, both central and local, certainly do need to place greater emphasis on microgeneration but hopefully all of us working together in this field will be able to make policy makers “see the light”.
