On behalf of the Climate and Energy Fund, the ITA is further developing a model that enables a detail-oriented assessment of the maturity of innovations for climate-neutral cities.

PD Dr.
Michael Ornetzeder holds a postdoctoral lecturing qualification in science and technology studies. His main research interest is in the field of sustainable technological development.
Born in 1965, he grew up in Salzburg and studied sociology and geography at the University of Vienna (Diploma 1992). In his doctoral thesis he studied the historical development of solar energy technology in the US (PhD 1998). In 2010 he qualified as a university lecturer in science and technology studies at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna.
From 1990 to 1997 Michael Ornetzeder was a member and a scientific project manager at the Centre of Appropriate Technology (GrAT) at the Technical University of Vienna. From 1998 to 2007 he worked as a project manager and head of department at the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), Vienna. Between 2004 and 2005 he was also a research fellow at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg. Currently he is a lecturer at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences and at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. Since 2007 he has been a research associate of the ITA in the field of technology and sustainability. In his work he focuses on sustainable technology development, sociology of technology and innovation, as well as participatory and constructive TA.
His list of publications includes numerous journal papers and book chapters, most recently with a thematic focus on sustainable energy technology and transition research.
This paper aims to improve our knowledge of energy use and well-being in energy efficient office buildings. It explores the interrelations between forms and patterns of energy use on the one hand and user satisfaction, comfort, and well-being on the other hand. Findings are derived from qualitative and quantitative data collected in a recently finished research project in Austria. Fieldwork consisted of two qualitative case studies as well as an online-based survey amongst users of energy efficient office buildings. In addition, secondary data from energy-monitoring research was used to underpin the analysis. The results show that extremely low levels of energy use in office buildings can be aligned with high levels of well-being. Based on empirical findings the paper argues that both well-being and energy performance in office buildings are the result of a complex, on-going and intertwined process that involves various material and social elements.
The transition to a sustainable energy system faces more challenges than a simple replacement of fossil energy sources by renewable ones. Since current structures do not favor sustainable energy generation and use, it is indispensable to change the existing infrastructure. A fundamental change of the energy system also requires re-organizing spatial structures and their respective institutions and governance structures. Especially in Austria, urban sprawl and unsustainable settlement structures are regarded as one of the main developments leading to increased energy demand. One of the aims within the project E-Trans 2050 was to identify socio-economic constellations that are central to the further transformation of the energy system and to focus on actors and their socio-technical framework conditions. Based on a sustainable future vision for the year 2050 a backcasting workshop was conducted to identify necessary steps for the envisaged transition to a more sustainable energy system. The results shed light on the necessary changes for a transformation towards sustainability in the specific Austrian situation. Critical issues are region-specific production of energy and its use, settlement and regional structures and values and role models, which all have a determining influence on energy demand. Combining the knowledge of extensive energy use with available energy resources in spatial planning decisions is a main challenge towards a long term sustainable energy system.
Dieser Artikel ist zuerst im Jahr 2001 erschienen, in: Technology Analysis and Strategic Management 13(1): 105-115.
Abstract:
A central claim of sustainable development is the far-reaching use of renewable forms of energy. This article focuses on the fact that solar water heaters are much more popular in Austria than in most other European countries. The enormous success of solar heaters in the 1990s is explained by two specific social phenomena that only can be observed in Austria: first, by a self-construction movement, consisting of single do-it-yourself groups started in the early 1980s that has spread throughout Austria. A major aspect of this movement was a comprehensive diffusion strategy that made it easy for nearly everyone to get a solar water system. Second, an atypical group of adopters were responsible for the unexpected dissemination success. Most of these early adopters were households in rural regions, interested in solar heaters due to a feature that already played a central role in the very beginning of this technology - more personal comfort. The close connection between the self-construction movement and early users enabled ongoing technical improvements of the system, which were adopted by commercial producers and installation companies.
SmartResponse – Szenarien für Smart Response in Österreich
List of all authors:
Andreas Schiffleitner, KERP Research GmbH
Marek Stachura , KERP Research GmbH
Marcus Meisel, TU Wien
Thomas Leber, TU Wien
Friederich Kupzog, TU Wien
Michael Ornetzeder, Ö. Akademie der Wissenschaften – ITA
Petra Wächter, Ö. Akademie der Wissenschaften – ITA
Jaro Sterbik-Lamina, Ö. Akademie der Wissenschaften – ITA
Automatisiertes Lastmanagement (engl. Automated Demand Response) hat das Potential, sich zu einer Schlüsseltechnologie für das Einhalten der Leistungsbalance von Verbrauch und Erzeugung in Energiesystemen mit einer hohen Dichte an erneuerbaren Erzeugung zu entwickeln. Dieses Projekt analysiert das Problem fehlender Umsetzungen in Österreich durch eine interdisziplinäre Betrachtung des Phänomens „Lastmanagement“ hinsichtlich technischer, sozialer, ökonomischer und ökologischer Aspekte. Weiters sollen Empfehlungen für zukünftige Rahmenbedingungen aus dieser Analyse resultieren, die es erst ermöglichen Lastmanagement von smarten Stromnetzen effizient zu betreiben.
Dieses Paper beschreibt in einem Strategie-Kit wichtige Arbeiten im Zusammenhang mit Demand Response. Aspekte und Strategien der einzelnen Szenarien werden in den folgenden Abschnitten beschrieben.
Reducing greenhouse gases by 80%, as demanded by the IPCC, is one of the great long-term challenges facing our societies today and will doubtless require transformative changes to current energy regimes. Large-scale system transitions such as the one envisaged for the global energy system in the next 30-40 years can only be realized through complex processes of change involving global, regional, national, and local levels. In this paper we use sociotechnical scenario analysis to contribute ideas for the transformative change of the current Austrian energy system over the long term and to identify some of the particular policy measures, as well as structural changes and broader shifts in perspective, that would be necessary to deal with such challenges. There is less emphasis on the technical issues involved than on the socio-economic and governance requirements such a shift would demand. We also explain our experiences with the sociotechnical scenario process and its outcomes. In particular, we identify examples of some critical issues and opportunities within one of the identified key action fields and discuss their various implications for energy policy and everyday practices.
-> The decarbonisation of the energy system calls for new ways of generating and consuming energy as well as new forms of relations between energy producers and consumers.
-> It is important to understand the complexity of factors influencing the effectiveness and success of smart grid initiatives targeted at small consumers across Europe.
-> It is equally important to assess the impact local solutions have on the whole energy system before applying them widely at regional or national level.
Author: Michael Ornetzeder
-> Die Dekarbonisierung des Energiesystems erfordert neue Wege der Energiebereitstellung, aber auch ein neues Verhältnis zwischen Erzeugern und VerbraucherInnen.
-> Es ist wichtig, die Komplexität der Einflussfaktoren für den Erfolg und die Wirksamkeit von Smart-Grid-Lösungen zu verstehen.
-> Ebenso wichtig ist es, die Auswirkungen lokaler Lösungen auf das gesamte Energiesystem abzuschätzen, bevor sie auf regionaler oder nationaler Ebene breit angewendet werden.
-> The shift towards greater use of renewable energy necessitates more dedicated storage in electrical power systems to provide short-term flexibility.
-> Electricity storage facilitates the decoupling of electricity supply and demand, and can be used to provide a wide range of ancillary services.
-> The future deployment of dedicated electricity storage in Austria and the EU will be strongly influenced by future policies for electricity market design, system operating rules, technology investments, and involvement of consumers and prosumers.
-> Der Wandel hin zu einer stärkeren Nutzung regenerativer Energiequellen erfordert den Ausbau elektrischer Speicher, um kurzfristige Flexibilität zu gewährleisten.
-> Die Speicherung elektrischer Energie erleichtert die Entkopplung von Stromangebot und -nachfrage und kann für eine Vielzahl von Nebenleistungen genutzt werden.
-> Der künftige Einsatz von elektrischen Energiespeichern in Österreich und der EU wird stark von künftigen Strategien für die Gestaltung des Strommarktes, den Regeln für den Betrieb der Systeme, Technologieinvestitionen und der Einbeziehung von VerbraucherInnen beeinflusst werden.
-> Energy-efficient design principles have recently become more popular in office buildings.
-> So far, there is little research on how the various measures for extremely low energy consumption affect the well-being of building users.
-> Preliminary results of an ITA study show that people working in the surveyed office buildings are very satisfied with the indoor climate and other workplace conditions even at ultra-low en- ergy consumption.
-> Neue Überwachungstechnologien ermöglichen immer tiefere Einblicke in das Leben eines jeden Einzelnen von uns.
-> Sicherheitsmaßnahmen greifen mehr und mehr auf Überwachung zurück, mit dem Argument, dass ein Mehr an Sicherheit eben Eingriffe in Grundrechte erfordere.
-> BürgerInnen sehen dies differenzierter: Der Einsatz von Überwachungstechnologien wird nicht per se abgelehnt, aber kritisch gesehen und sollte daher prinzipiell begrenzt, strikt reguliert und kontrolliert werden.
-> Der Datenschutz sollte verbessert werden, auch bei Sicherheitstechnologien. Außerdem sollte Sicherheit eine öffentliche Aufgabe bleiben und die sozialen Wurzeln von Unsicherheit müssten bekämpft werden.
-> „Responsible Research and Innovation“ (RRI), also der Anspruch, Forschung, Technologie und Innovation (FTI) verantwortungsvoll zu gestalten, steht ganz oben auf der Tagesordnung der europäischen Forschungspolitik.
-> FTI-AkteurInnen sollen wesentlich zur Lösung der großen gesellschaftlichen Herausforderungen beitragen. Neben dem ökonomischen soll insbesondere der gesellschaftliche Nutzen von Technologien berücksichtigt werden.
-> Für den Erfolg von RRI müssen EntscheidungsträgerInnen den Rahmen für FTI-Politik neu ausrichten. Die EU hat hierfür einige Vorschläge ausgearbeitet. Diese sollten jedoch weiterentwickelt und an nationale Bedingungen angepasst werden.
-> 250 Austrian households were able to gain experience with smart meters in a year-long field trial.
-> On average, these households reduced their electricity consumption by around five per cent.
-> Smart metering, however, only led to a reduction in energy consumption when combined with comprehensive information and visualization.
-> Based on the field trial, recommendations were derived for the design of future programmes on ‘saving energy at home’.
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