Energy Informatics Can Optimize the Design of Supply and Demand
Networks
Robert Bradshaw
1
and Brian Donnellan
2
1
National University of Ireland Maynooth, Maynooth, Ireland
2
National University of Ireland Maynooth, Innovation Value Institute, Maynooth, Ireland
Keywords: Green IS, Supply and Demand, Networks, Sustainability, Energy Informatics, Bikeshare.
Abstract: This paper proposes that a new green IS framework – Energy Informatics – may provide the best means of
optimising the design of supply and demand networks. The framework proposes an integrated systems
solution which incorporates technical and architectural design elements, eco-goals, and human stakeholders
and places a particular focus on the role of information systems in effectively integrating and managing
service supplier and service user information to optimize network efficiency. The paper explores the
potential of the framework through a case study of an innovative bikeshare initiate from MIT called The
Copenhagen Wheel. The study demonstrates that the framework has the potential to inform system design in
the bikeshare domain. Further research will be required to determine its potential in informing other supply
and demand areas.
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
A recurring theme in the sustainability literature is
our continued reliance on the burning of fossil fuels
for energy production. The consequence of this has
been a significant increase in atmospheric carbon
dioxide which in turn has resulted in a range of
problems including air pollution, ocean acidification
and a loss of biodiversity (Jacobson, 2008). A broad
consensus exists amongst scientists and social
commentators alike that reducing our levels of CO
2
will be pivotal in addressing these problems. The
response from businesses and corporations in
particular, given their importance within our
societies is increasingly seen as key to the success of
the sustainability agenda. Due to the close attention
of the media, lobbyists, and an increasingly eco-
conscious public, all areas of corporate activity have
now come under scrutiny and businesses are
expected to be far more proactive, and indeed
creative, in how they meet their sustainability
obligations.
The information systems community has
responded to this changing climate by exploring the
potential of technology to work in conjunction with
people, processes and business practices to deliver
holistic solutions that can make entire systems more
sustainable. This approach has become known
generically as green IS or green information systems
and it incorporates not only the principles of green
information technology, which focuses largely on
data centre and hardware efficiency, but also on the
capacity of a range of digital tools, and information
itself, to enable organisations and communities to
become more sustainable. It recognises that
sustainability is a multi-faceted concept involving
economic, environmental and social contexts. While
an information technology (IT) transmits, processes,
or stores information, an information system (IS) is
an integrated and cooperating set of people,
processes, software, and information technologies to
support individual, organizational, or social goals.
The focus of this research is, therefore, on “green
IS” rather than “green IT” because green IS gives us
the potential to (i) measure and process vast amounts
of data, (ii) transform physical processes into virtual
ones and (iii) improve the efficiency of physical
processes. Though very much in its infancy, the
literature notes a role for green IS in a range of areas
including traffic management systems, virtual
presence technologies, and in supporting informed
decision making in the provision and use of services.
An increasingly important role for green IS is
highlighted in the management of supply and
demand networks. Supporting both service provision
222
Bradshaw R. and Donnellan B..
Energy Informatics Can Optimize the Design of Supply and Demand Networks.
DOI: 10.5220/0004406202220227
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Smart Grids and Green IT Systems (SMARTGREENS-2013), pages 222-227
ISBN: 978-989-8565-55-6
Copyright
c
2013 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
and service usage through intelligent systems design
is an opportunity to fundamentally transform
business processes while delivering on the
economic, social and environmental imperatives of
sustainability
1.2 Energy Informatics
Energy informatics (Watson et al, 2010) is an IS
framework which specifically addresses this area.
The framework proposes an integrated approach to
the design and implementation of systems which
support energy efficiency while adopting specific
architecture and design elements. The core concept
behind the energy informatics (EI) approach is that
energy + information should result in the
consumption of less energy. As such, the framework
concerns itself with improving the efficiency of
energy demand and supply systems. The framework
aims to incorporate disciplines such as management
science, design science and policy formation in
conjunction with high granular data about the
provision and use of energy to develop systems that
can improve outcomes for the environment. The
framework is illustrated below.
Suppliers can more effectively manage service
delivery if supplied with the appropriate usage
information from the consumer (Watson et al,
2009)
A flow network is a set of interconnected
transport elements that enables the movement of
continuous matter such as oil, electricity, water etc
or discrete objects such as cars, bikes, packages or
people (Watson et al, 2010). A sensor network, as
defined by the energy informatics framework, is a
set of connected, distributed devices whose purpose
is to report on the status of some physical object or
environmental condition i.e. air pollution or machine
health (Milenkovic et al, 2006). Effective sensor
networks are reliant on fine grained information. A
sensitized object is a physical item which is owned
by the energy consumer and has the ability to gather
and report data about its use. Domestic appliances
for example can be sensitized with smart plugs
which report on power usage and support smart
metering (Jahn, 2010). Of central importance to the
framework is the capacity of sensitized objects to
give the consumer the information they need to use
the object intelligently and with the environment in
mind. The role of the information system is to
integrate all the other elements of the framework to
provide a complete design. The technical elements
of the framework are augmented by integrating
social and organisational contexts, eco-goals and the
primary stakeholders in the supply and demand
network paradigm i.e. service suppliers and service
users.
Eco-goals are well documented in the
sustainability literature. Unsurprisingly, cost saving
remains high on the list of expected returns from
green IS investment. Corporations are largely
motivated to pursue eco-efficiency by the prospect
of cost reduction and it typically involves the
“efficient” use of resources in order to reduce
negative impacts on the environment (Dedrick,
2010). Eco-equity relates to the principle that all
peoples and generations should have equal rights to
environmental resources (Gray, Bebbington, 2000).
Figure 1: Energy Informatics Framework (Watson et al, 2010).
EnergyInformaticsCanOptimizetheDesignofSupplyandDemandNetworks
223
Developing these norms and ensuring that energy
sustainability is seen as an imperative will require
the active support of opinion leaders and
governments (Watson et al 2010). Eco-effectiveness
is concerned with “doing the right things” as
opposed to “doing things right”. Political leaders in
Denmark for instance have levied a 180% tax on
petrol engined cars while zero-emission vehicles are
exempt, and the New York Times (29 July, 2011)
notes that countries such as France, Germany,
Britain, Portugal and Spain all heavily subsidize the
purchase of electric vehicles (EVs). Similar
approaches are in evidence in both the US and Asia
(Ahman, 2004).
In addition Watson proposes four key design
elements. These are ubiquity, uniqueness, unison
and universality and their usefulness in the design of
information systems is well established within the IS
literature (Outram, 2010, Tzeng, 2008, Sammer,
2011, Galanxhi-Janaqi, 2004, Placido et al, 2011).
Ubiquity is access “to information unconstrained by
time and space” (Junglas, Watson, 2006). Providing
ubiquitous access to information about a service
enables users to access information from wherever
they may be located and to explore their options to
increase the usefulness of that service. Unison,
sometimes referred to as consistency, proposes that
the procedure of accessing information varies as
little as possible. This might mean that users could
access information from multiple services or
locations while needing only to learn a single
procedure. Universality relates to the drive to reduce
compatibility issues or friction between information
systems in order to achieve seamless data exchange.
XML (extensible markup language), web services,
and application programming interfaces (APIs) have
become the de facto means of achieving this
interoperability (Rainer and Cegielski, 2011, pp184).
Uniqueness is described in the literature as “knowing
precisely the characteristics and location of a
person or entity” (Junglas, Watson, 2006). With
information, it can be used to find the best match
between the user’s needs and the physical resources
available. Many bikesharing schemes for example
uniquely identify both bikes and users, which means
that users can view the availability of bikes and
parking spaces on a station by station basis while
system administrators can use usage patterns to
inform fleet management and other operational
functions (Buttner et al, 2012)
Research suggests, (Watson, 2009, Outram et al
2010, Midgely 2009, Chowdhury, 2007), that the
more successful systems have supported their
physical infrastructure with information systems
which implement these elements. They “minimise
the limitations of the physical system and enable and
support users to adopt behaviours that help rather
than hinder the environment” (Outram et al, 2010).
2 EI IN PRACTICE – THE
COPENHAGEN WHEEL
Bikeshare schemes have become an increasingly
popular phenomenon in recent years as urban
planners across the world have used them to
improve urban mobility and reduce the
environmental impact of motorised transportation
systems. The basic premise of the schemes is that
bikes are made available throughout the city
environment and are then used to support what are,
for the most part, relatively short trips. The schemes
have the added benefit of providing a link between
existing transport nodes and required destinations.
System providers include governments, public-
private partnerships, transport agencies, universities,
advertising agencies and for-profit organisations
(Midgely, 2011). Schemes typically use independent
docking stations capable of automatically checking-
out and returning bikes. Users are required to
subscribe to the schemes initially and can then
access the bikes through a variety of technologies
which include smart cards, fobs, direct access codes,
or SMS (Buttner et al, 2011). System information,
such as the availability of free bikes and stands, or
the riders’ usage statistics, is typically made
available through web based applications, or at
interfaces incorporated into the station kiosks.
Kiosks can usually support registration and payment
options. The recent adoption of mobile phone
applications by many schemes has also improved
access and usability (Buttner et al, 2011). From an
EI perspective, bikeshare schemes can be seen to
represent conventional supply and demand networks
which attempt to manage the “flow” of bikes in
order to maximise the number of trips.
The Copenhagen wheel is a research project
developed in 2009 by the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology’s SENSEable City lab for the
Kobenhavns Kommune - the Copenhagen
Municipality. Though not being developed
exclusively for the bikeshare environment, the
development team anticipate that this will be its
primary application. Through the use of mobile and
web technologies the wheel attempts to replace the
traditional kiosk and docking station model and
allow bikes to be secured to any traditional bike
SMARTGREENS2013-2ndInternationalConferenceonSmartGridsandGreenITSystems
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rack. This stationless design requires significantly
reduced infrastructure and investment. To enhance
usability and appeal to a greater cross section of
users, the bikes are electric hybrid vehicles. The rear
wheel hub, using a Kinetic Energy Recovery System
(KERS), captures the dissipated energy from
pedalling and braking using torque sensors and
stores it until needed by the rider. The hub also
contains real-time sensing technology which can
transmit information about the environment,
personal fitness and location to an integrated
smartphone and also via the cell phone network to
the web. The sensitized object in this design is
represented by the hub.
The sensors it contains can detect CO
2
, NOx (fig
2), temperature, noise (dB) and humidity. In addition
to environmental sensing, the suite also monitors the
riders speed, relative inclination (through the use of
a gyroscope), distances travelled and so on. See
figure 3.
Figure 2: NOx data collected while cycling in Copenhagen
during December 2009 (Outram, 2010).
The system uses GPS to provide its sensor network
which supports active tracking. Route information,
plus the data generated locally by the sensor suite, is
then relayed to a central server using the cellular
network. This allows riders to review the data in
their own time using the systems’ web based
interface. Data developed over extended time
periods can also be used to support predictive and
demand modelling. In addition, the real-time
visibility of the bikes significantly reduces the
impact of theft and vandalism.
The information system in the Copenhagen
Wheel is an open, XML compliant platform and
designed with high levels of inter-operability and
universality in mind. The scheme provides social
media functionality within its site to support user
interaction and has also developed links to Facebook
and Google+. Riders see any badges or awards they
or their friends have received from the system for
achieving personal targets in relation to calories
burned or CO
2
offset etc. Using social media to
support information exchange also encourages riders
to develop relationships which can improve safety
from both physical and psychological perspectives.
In addition, the scheme recognises the importance of
incorporating external data sets which have the
potential to enhance usability and performance. An
app to incorporate real-time weather forecast data
into the existing information suite is currently being
deployed for example and the developers are also
focused on incorporating data from other transit
modes. This should enable enhanced trip planning
and customisation across public transportation
systems and/or car-to-go schemes.
Figure 3: Smartphone analyser showing environmental
and health data.
Unison or information consistency is supported by a
common system view which is provided by an
integrated database and uniqueness is enabled by
having visibility of riders throughout the entirety of
the usage period. Visibility of the bikes at all times
enables accurate systems updates to be provided to
riders and supports meaningful bike distribution by
system operators. Ubiquity is perhaps the schemes’
defining characteristic. Multiple streams of real-time
data are available to riders at all times via the
smartphone interface which mirrors the trend
towards the use of dashboard telemetry in motorised
transportation as a way of informing driver
behaviour. To avoid cognitive overload the rider can
choose to view as much or as little data as they feel
appropriate.
The Copenhagen Wheel places a high value on
reciprocal relationships, both internal and external.
Internally, the scheme encourages riders, through the
use of incentives, to add value to the data collected
EnergyInformaticsCanOptimizetheDesignofSupplyandDemandNetworks
225
through feedback and route annotation. This user
generated content can be seen as an additional
sensor network complimenting and supporting the
scheme’s sensing technologies. Externally, the
Copenhagen Wheel is focused on creating
partnerships with both local government and
independent 3
rd
parties. Through these relationships
the value of the data collected can be properly
exploited i.e. it can inform urban planning, drive
improvements in cycling infrastructure or enhance
integration with other transportation modes.
Figure 4 illustrates the Copenhagen Wheel from
an EI perspective.
Figure 4: Energy Informatics and the Copenhagen Wheel.
3 CONCLUSIONS
3.1 Addressing the Initial Position
The effectiveness of system design, i.e. the degree to
which both sides of the supply and demand
paradigm are supported, can be seen to be a function
of the characteristics of the information being
disseminated within the scheme. The variety,
reliability, timeliness and granularity of information
“sensed” by the combination of sensitized object and
sensor network, and distributed by the central
information system, have a direct bearing on the
degree of visibility providers have of system usage
which in turn impacts on a wide range of operational
and management functions. These include bike-
distribution, fleet maintenance, infrastructure
planning, and the management of threats such as
theft and vandalism. Additional information streams,
imported from the external environment have the
potential to enhance overall system performance and
improve the level of connectedness schemes have
with their environments. Providing accurate,
granular data on how riders are using the system
allows them to make informed choices about their
behaviour.
In effect, the right information can support the
dynamic adjustment of supply and demand
requirements. “Flow”, in the form of bikes and
riders, can be optimised by the use of smart
technologies and digital tools combined in an
architecture which integrates key system
stakeholders. These are the core principles of the EI
framework. The framework does not prescribe a
particular set of technologies or architectures per se
but instead proposes a set of principles by which the
potential of information can be leveraged to optimise
efficiency. It provides an understanding of the role
played by each of the components that comprise the
overall supply and demand network and provides a
blueprint for exploiting them to optimise
performance.
The contextual deminsions of energy informatics
are also supported by the case study. It demonstrates
that eco-goals, an important element in Watson’s
framework, can be major contributors to design and
performance. It illustrates for example that eco-
efficiency and eco-effectiveness need not be
mutually exclusive. On the contrary, it suggests that
the stationless design, which impacts least on its
environment and supports the greatest levels of
usability and customisation, is also the most cost
effective. In summary, improved design is achieved
by:
Allowing schemes to be understood from the
perspective of supply and demand networks.
Providing a frame of reference by which the value
of their existing information and technical
infrastructure can be understood and evaluated.
Recommending a set of informational attributes,
design elements and eco-goals which can be used
to improve performance and sustainability.
3.2 Future Research Opportunities
Useful further research would be to explore the
potential of the framework to support the design of
networks across other domains. In addition to the
transportation environment, opportunities exist for
example in areas such as the delivery of services
such as electricity, water, or gas. These
environments represent more conventional supply
and demand relationships yet the potential of
information to support both service provision and
service use in a manner similar to bikesharing is
high and the industries are influenced by regulatory
and environmental factors that also resonate with the
bikesharing domain i.e. political stakeholders,
corporate motivations and so on.
There may also be potential in exploring the
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value of informational tools in increasing the
efficiency of areas such as open data platforms,
telephony or internet service provision, which again
contain the core elements of supply and demand
networks i.e. service providers, service users, and a
flow of content to be regulated. It would also be
interesting for instance to establish to what degree
collaborative relationships impact the design of
networks in these environments.
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