As shown in Table 9, content regarding conservation and efficiency was identified in both SG and climate change discourse. Within the SG excerpts it was evident that electricity stakeholders recognized
the enabling role of SG technology in encouraging conservation and efficiency initiatives (identified through open codes “SG-enable conservation” and “SG-enable efficiency”). Furthermore, in the SG excerpts, stakeholders referenced the term “conservation” in several contexts including the provincial government’s goal of creating a “culture of conservation” in Ontario, Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) programs, or the conservation targets outlined in the LTEP (open codes identified include “culture of conservation,” “SG-CDM complementary initiatives,” “long-term CDM targets”). The following excerpts demonstrate the nature of references addressing provincial conservation targets and “culture of conservation.”
Distributors assume added responsibilities to assist and enable consumers to reduce their peak demand and conserve energy in an effort to meet provincial conservation targets. (London Hydro, Annual Report, 2011, p. 23).
In preparing for the smart grid future and in compliance with the Ontario government’s mandate to build a “culture of conservation”, ENWIN began the installation of smart meters in homes and small businesses across Windsor in 2010. (Enwin Utilities, Annual Report, 2013, p. 22).
In addition, within the SG excerpts the term “efficiency” was not always explicitly referenced despite the fact that the demand management components of CDM strategies primarily aim to achieve efficiency in various components of the energy system (see Chapter 2). When “efficiency” was explicitly referenced within SG discourse, it was in terms of production and consumption of energy (open codes: “efficient consumption,” “efficient production” and “energy efficient programs”), or as a policy objective (open code: “SG objective- flexibility”). Below there are two excerpts; the first is an example of the term efficiency being used in the context of production and consumption, while the second is an example of the manner in which efficiency is conceptualized as a SG policy objective.
A Smart Grid, based on communication among generators, transmitters, distributors and consumers, is a big part of a grand plan to make energy production and consumption more efficient and effective. (Enwin Utilities, Annual Report, 2008, p. 7).
Efficiency: Improve efficiency of grid operation, taking into account the cost-effectiveness of the electricity system. (OME, Directive to the OEB, November 23, 2010).
The second excerpt references the role of SG in improving the efficiency of grid operation; this type of efficiency was also implied when stakeholders discussed matters relating to demand management and reducing peak loads (open codes include: “load shifting,” and “peak load energy savings”).
Another theme identified in the SG excerpts is the role of SG technology in encouraging consumers to change their behaviour to conserve energy and facilitate demand management practices. Electricity stakeholders discussed this behaviour change as being encouraged through TOU pricing or home energy management (see Table 9). The following excerpt demonstrates the role of TOU pricing (or dynamic pricing) in encouraging consumers to shift electricity consumptions to off-peak times as a means of reducing critical peak demand.
Dynamic pricing can build on time-of-use and smart grid infrastructure by pinpointing short time periods of extremely high demand – known as critical peaks – and permitting customers to sign up to receive a financial benefit for shifting their consumption from critical peak to the lowest-demand period, typically overnight. (OME, Conservation First:
A Renewed Vision for Energy Conservation in Ontario, 2013b, p. 6).
In addition to encouraging consumers to change their consumption behaviour, electricity stakeholders highlighted SG technology as having the capacity to enable conservation and efficiency through system automation. Specifically, within the SG excerpts there were several references to the SG technology that facilitates automatic adjustments by household appliances in response to electricity demand and price cues (open codes identified include “smart appliances,” and “enhanced price signals”). These technologies and SG applications are used to automatically facilitate a reduction in household electricity consumption at peak times. For example, in his report to the chair of the Electricity Market Forum, George Vegh noted:
An enhanced price signal can provide a triggering mechanism that will allow the smart grid to automatically adjust customer electricity usage. (IESO, Reconnecting Supply and Demand, 2011, p. 2).
As discussed in Chapter 2, SG technology and applications such as TOU pricing and system automation encourage less electricity consumption and facilitate more efficient production and consumption of energy resources in addition to enabling the grid to operate in a more efficient manner. Although both
conservation and efficiency (in production, consumption and grid operation) are relevant strategies to respond to climate change, they were not discussed in this context within the SG excerpts.
With regards to the content discussing conservation and efficiency identified in the climate change excerpts, latent content analysis findings indicated that conservation and efficiency were primarily discussed in the context of CDM programs, Ontario’s LTEP, conservation targets or Ontario’s climate change strategy (open codes include “focus on conservation,” “focus on energy efficiency,” “LTEP: energy efficiency” “generation efficiency” and “Ontario climate change strategy”). As an example, the following excerpt from the OME’s 2011-2012 results based plan briefing book demonstrates the role of Ontario’s LTEP and climate change strategy in encouraging energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of the province’s Long-Term Energy Plan, and an important element of Ontario’s climate change strategy. As a result of the government’s energy efficiency efforts, Ontario has saved more than 1,700 megawatts of electricity since 2005, equivalent to more than half a million homes being taken off the grid. (OME Results- Based Plan Briefing Book, 2011-2012, p. 10).
In addition, conservation and efficiency related content within the climate change excerpts highlighted the environmental benefits associated with participating in such initiatives (open code: “reduce carbon footprint”). The following excerpt is representative:
In 2008 Sustainable Waterloo was founded to allow the Waterloo Region business community to be a part of the local solution to global climate change. This not-for-profit has a growing membership dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint through efficiency and waste reduction, with a heavy emphasis on electricity conservation. The CKW Group are supporters of this organization and their local events. Waterloo North Hydro is a Founding Partner. (CDN Hydro, 2011 CDM Strategy, p. 26).
Overall, despite the fact that document content addressing conservation and efficiency were found both within both SG and climate change discourse, latent content analysis provided no evidence of an explicit overlap in excerpt content within discourse pertaining to conservation and efficiency.
Specifically, while a few similar themes were brought up in both sets of discourse (i.e., CDM), there were no explicit references to SG found in the climate change excerpts and no explicit references to climate change identified in SG discourse. However, within the climate change excerpts there was an implicit reference to the role of SG in facilitating climate change response (see the following excerpt).
The Board is committed to promoting conservation in the province.An increased focus on the environment and climate change continues to underpin the importance of, and support for, conservation and energy efficiency. The Board seeks to ensure that its regulation is consistent with the delivery of efficient and effective conservation and demand
management (CDM) programs. Key implementation issues are conservation and demand management programs provided by distributors, smart meters and time-of-use pricing. (OEB Business Plan, 2008-2011, p. 12).
In the excerpt, after highlighting the importance of CDM programs for facilitating conservation and efficiency to achieve climate change-related objectives, the OEB noted the critical role of SG technology and applications (smart meters and TOU pricing) for the implementation of CDM programs. Although there is one degree of separation between climate change and SG, this excerpt provided evidence that
electricity stakeholders somewhat considered SG, conservation, efficiency and climate change in the same context between 2004 and 2013.