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

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.


PFER
Prrospering from the energy revolution.An investment by the UK government's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF).

SLES
Smart Local Energy Systems.Future energy systems characterised by decentralized energy, requiring detailed customer energy use data to understand system performance in increasingly finer detail for grid balancing."willingness to disclose" Table S3.Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 1.

Context Mechanism Outcomes
Individual, Micro and meso system.
Communication of a complete and relevant knowledge of risks and benefits to data sharing through usable privacy notices.Knowledge increases, and there is greater understanding and desire for benefits of sharing data Active and sustained participation of customers in sharing data and involvement in active energy use behaviours

Meso system
Recognition and communication of interdependence and mutual benefit.Partnership working with community groups, individuals, and business.
Customer achieve their benefits and SLES System achieves balance and resilience through real time data collection and responsive energy use behaviours of customers' Meso to micro Resource.Outreach: Active and ongoing support, education and training Inclusion of all customers, including those that may be at risk of exclusion.
Guiding principle 1. Recognize the mutual benefits of data sharing for smart local energy systems and work with customers as partners.
Table S4.Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 2.

Context Mechanism Outcomes
Individual; and Micro system Individual sense of autonomy, choice and control, self-efficacy, locus of control.
Active or passive resistance or active and continued use Active involvement in the design increases sense of control Trusted devices and technologies are adopted and used Tailoring of technologies or service to meet personal goals: whether saving money, or "going green" Devices and technologies perceived to be compatible with personal values are adopted and used Meso system Ease of integration, into existing technologies and ways of living.
Devices and technologies perceived to be useful are adopted and used Guiding principle 2. Involve people in the design of data sharing technologies from the start.Table S5.Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 3.

Mechanism Outcomes
Micro through to meso systems Existing familiarity of privacy choices and controls.Empowerment over the control flow of information.
Guiding principle 4. Empower people to set the boundaries around the flow of information about themselves Table S7.Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 5

Context Mechanism Outcomes
Micro to meso Ambivalence that people will see any real benefit to themselves Lack of trust in the extent and purpose of data collection inhibits take up Micro system Anticipating benefits or Unanticipated consequences of being "flexible" Resistance or disappointment to unanticipated perceived intrusions into daily life Micro system Understanding and knowledge of privacy conditions Withdrawal of consent as a default safety mechanism Guiding principle 5. Ensure that the purpose and value of the data collected is transparent and fair Table S8.Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 6

Context Mechanism Outcomes
Meso system Resource: Methods of accounting and billing allows for multiple account holders.
People who affected by energy use monitoring give their informed consent to the extent and depth of energy data collection.Individual, Micro and Meso system Values and beliefs of the household, differing priorities of members of the household., assumptions made about the use of monitoring technology.
Over-monitoring, energy use data used as a vector of control Assumptions of service providers about capacity of customers to receive and understand information about technology and services.
Including or excluding groups of people from decision making around the benefits of data sharing, including financial benefits and efficiencies, or other "off label" benefits.
Resource: active outreach for education, demonstration and training Meso and macro systems Principle -gent problem over investment and benefit.Resource: Incentives for investments and ongoing support People affected by data sharing are excluded from decision making leading to passive resistance and use of technology is not sustained.SLES access to data is limited and declines over time.Guiding principle 6. Ensure that everyone that is affected by sharing of data is involved in giving their informed consent.
Table S9.Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 7.

Context Mechanism Outcomes
Micro and meso systems Balance of power in a household.Guiding principle 7. Recognize that technologies for revealing and monitoring behaviours in the home can be used in unexpected and unwanted ways.
Table S10.Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 8.

Context Mechanism Outcomes
From micro to macro systems Open channels of communication Swiftly address the impact of unintended consequences Resources: outreach for stakeholder identification and involvement to include different perspectives into ethical design principles Establish an ongoing process of evaluation Guiding principle 8. Ensure there are channels of feedback and ongoing communication to continuously improve service delivery.

Table S2 .
Search terms for energy sharing data studies in bibliographic databases

Table S6 .
Hypothesised contexts, mechanisms and outcomes for Guiding principle 4

Table S11 .
Data sharing technologies and systems in each domain.

Table S12 .
Study characteristics and quality appraisal for included primary studiesSmart meters • An AppIn its transition to a sustainable, reliable, efficient 'smart grid,' the system is integrating increasing amounts of ICT.Geothermal Heat pump One of the key elements of the Smart Grid is that electricity consumers make some of their consumption available as flexible capacity to balance the grid.Consumers' flexible capacity is only available to the grid if the consumers adopt Smart Grid technology (SGT) that establishes the link between the electric system and the consumer.