Customer Privacy Concerns as a Barrier to Sharing Data about Energy Use in Smart Local Energy Systems: A Rapid Realist Review

Vigurs, Carol; Maidment, Chris; Fell, Michael; Shipworth, David

doi:10.3390/en14051285

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Customer Privacy Concerns as a Barrier to Sharing Data about Energy Use in Smart Local Energy Systems: A Rapid Realist Review

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EPPI-Centre, Social Research Institute, UCL—University College London, London WC1H 0NR, UK

UCL Energy Institute, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, UCL—University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK

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Academic Editor: Valentina Colla

Energies 2021, 14(5), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051285

Received: 25 January 2021 / Revised: 18 February 2021 / Accepted: 20 February 2021 / Published: 26 February 2021

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Abstract

The purpose of this review is to investigate the nature of privacy concerns in the context of smart local energy systems (SLES) to understand how SLES providers can minimize both user concerns, and cause for concern, around privacy. We conducted a rapid realist review and thematic framework analysis against Bronfenbrenner’s socio–ecological model to understand privacy concerns in different contexts. A common privacy concern was that sharing detailed energy use data had the potential to reveal information about home life, and to intrude upon people’s sense of autonomy, choice, and control. Evidence suggests that people are willing to accept new data sharing technologies if the benefits of doing so are clear, anticipated, and mutually beneficial. Building trust, through increasing knowledge and understanding, was a mechanism for overcoming privacy concerns, but this was mediated by the organization providing the information. Non-profit organizations were more trusted to ensure appropriate safeguards to privacy were in place. One key barrier to participation with good supporting evidence was that people could resist perceived intrusions on their privacy. This could be actively resisted by refusing to install data collection technologies or passively by non-participation in adapting energy use behaviours: both of which are necessary for SLES to achieve their goals of managing energy demand and building resilience in smart grids. View Full-Text

Keywords: rapid realist review; smart local energy system; barriers; privacy

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Vigurs, C.; Maidment, C.; Fell, M.; Shipworth, D. Customer Privacy Concerns as a Barrier to Sharing Data about Energy Use in Smart Local Energy Systems: A Rapid Realist Review. Energies 2021, 14, 1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051285

AMA Style

Vigurs C, Maidment C, Fell M, Shipworth D. Customer Privacy Concerns as a Barrier to Sharing Data about Energy Use in Smart Local Energy Systems: A Rapid Realist Review. Energies. 2021; 14(5):1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051285

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vigurs, Carol, Chris Maidment, Michael Fell, and David Shipworth. 2021. "Customer Privacy Concerns as a Barrier to Sharing Data about Energy Use in Smart Local Energy Systems: A Rapid Realist Review" Energies 14, no. 5: 1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051285

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Customer Privacy Concerns as a Barrier to Sharing Data about Energy Use in Smart Local Energy Systems: A Rapid Realist Review

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