Local Frictions in the Energy Transition: Design Anthropology for the Emergence of Energy Communities

Abstract

Working in an interdisciplinary consortium aiming to design an innovative smart energy system in Amsterdam, we report on frictions encountered in ethnographic fieldwork. These frictions pertain to the invisibility of energy infrastructure and the resulting lack of a relatable narrative, people's past experiences with public participation in the energy transition, and conflicting time horizons of long-term policy goals with people's short-term concerns. We reflect on the starting assumptions of the project in which this study is embedded, noting how the typical techno-economic framing of renewable energy projects inhibited the building of social connections and rapport within our fieldwork. Using a design anthropology approach, we describe how ethnographers can support the emergence of local energy communities and identify future directions to address the frictions identified. These directions include making energy systems more socially experienceable, design anthropologists mediating between people and institutions, and embedding ethnographic engagements in institutional structures to ensure continuity.