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

Critical challenges in energy transitions are social and cultural – not just technical and economic. This paper shares research in an interdisciplinary consortium developing an innovative smart energy system, and demonstrates the value of ethnography in supporting energy transitions and local energy communities. Our fieldwork illuminated frictions stemming from the invisibility of energy infrastructure and lack of a relatable narrative, people’s past experiences with public participation in the energy transition, and conflict between long-term policy goals with people’s short-term concerns. The project’s typical techno-economic framing of renewable energy projects also 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, mediating between people and institutions, and embedding ethnographic engagements in institutional structures to ensure continuity.