Digitalization will result in 10 to 20 percent less energy consumption in the future than in 2020, according to a calculation model by researchers at the Paul Scherer Institute (PSI). They use it to describe the influence of "digital lifestyles" up to 2050, based on rebound effects. This means that higher consumption - for example in the home office due to increased energy consumption for heating, cooking and video calls - will be compensated for by efficient technologies and changes in behavior.
If someone works exclusively from home, they might not buy a new car. In addition, property owners may then purchase a heat pump, according to the researchers. However, they point out that many considerations play a role in the impact on the energy system.
For this reason, former PSI doctoral student Lidia Stermieri has included another model, the "Socio-Enonomic Energy model for Digitalization". It is based on two possible scenarios. In the first scenario, "Frozen", she assumes that digitalization will stagnate due to a lack of interest from society. In the second scenario, society is open to digitalization and it progresses positively as a result. In future, even more realistic models are to be created that also take psychological findings into account. "Digitalization does not solve all problems, but it supports the transformation of the energy system on the way to net zero emissions," says Dr Evangelos Panos from the Paul Scherer Institute. The research project is being funded by the Swiss Federal Office with around ten million francs.
© immonewsfeed
