Inside a smart home, smart appliances operate automatically. Outside, a smart meter receives and transmits information to the utility. In an instant, the smart grid optimizes the use of distributed resources to ensure that an uninterrupted supply of power is delivered to the home. This is the vision that energy technology experts have held of the smart grid, but there is one key piece of this picture missing -people. However, the goals of the smart grid can only be achieved with the cooperation of the consumer. Moreover, one of the defining characteristics of the smart grid is that it enables informed participation by customers. Thus, the consumer is integral to the success of the future of the smart grid. This chapter provides a roadmap for interdisciplinary collaboration between technology experts and social scientists, and provides concrete suggestions for getting consumers on board with the future of the smart grid.

Chapter Contents:

• Abstract
• 12.1 Introduction
• 12.2 Smart homes
• 12.2.1 Smart thermostats and smart appliances
• 12.2.1.1 User-centered design
• 12.2.1.2 Diffusion of innovations
• 12.2.2 Summary
• 12.3 Smart meters
• 12.3.1 Smart meter backlash
• 12.3.2 Shortcomings of the PG&E deployment
• 12.3.2.1 Keys to successful community engagement
• 12.3.2.2 Lessons learned from PG&E
• 12.3.3 Summary
• 12.4 Distributed generation
• 12.4.1 Community-based social marketing
• 12.4.2 Summary
• 12.5 Conclusions
• References

Inspec keywords: smart power grids

Other keywords: interdisciplinary collaboration; smart meter; distributed resources; smart home; smart grid; social scientists; smart appliances; technology experts; energy technology experts

Subjects: Power systems