Island stories, geographical limits and electricity system dynamics – what can we learn from a comprehensive reading of electricity supply and consumption modes?

Panel: 9. Consumption and behaviour

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Sophie Bouly de Lesdain, EDF – R&D, ICAME - GRETS, France
Sylvie Douzou, EDF -R&D, France

Abstract

Current Energy Policies aiming at reducing energy demand remain often formulated in terms of energy efficiency although now clearly targeting household practices and behaviour. In such a perspective small islands are an interesting territorial context from which one can learn a lot: These territories impose some limits to energy demand as energy production is itself limited and for this reason they call for considering jointly energy production and consumption, an idea embodied by the notion of prosumer. But not only: load-shedding at times of peak demand also sets out concerns relevant to both consumption and production, and behaviours towards the local production system. That is exactly what we propose to discuss in our paper by focusing on air-conditioning and heating load-shedding in three French island territories (Corsica, Reunion, Guadeloupe). Despite obvious specific cultural features, they share some characteristics and therefore constitute privileged observation fields regarding dynamics of electricity supply (fossil fuel up to 70% of electricity mix and intermittent energy up to 30% of injected power; electricity demand grows on average by 3% a year). They even could be seen as in situ labs supporting the transition of French electricity system towards a more locally based one. To that effect we propose a secondary analysis of a set of original data (63 interviews/715 questionnaires). The multi-situated sociological analysis we adopted allows us to identify common behavioural trends. We will start from interviewee’s thermal practices to analyse their logics of use. We will show that they fall within different life contexts and can be differentiated according to age groups or socio-economic categories. Our findings pledge for local policies that go beyond an ideal “average behaviour” based on strictly economic or efficiency driven logics. We will conclude our paper with a discussion on the future energy demand and policies to deal with it.