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This paper describes the theoretical background and results of a focus group study on determinants of energy related behaviour in Norwegian households. 70 Norwegians between 18 and 79 years of age participated in eight focus-groups in four Norwegian cities. The aim of the study was to identify behaviours that Norwegians consider relevant with respect to energy use, the main determinants of those behaviours, as well as barriers against and facilitators of energy efficiency. The most important behaviours from the participants' perspectives were heating, water heating, use of white ware and mobility. The main motivators named were minimizing behavioural costs, value orientations, perceived consumer efficacy and social norms. The most important barriers were structural misfits, economic, effort, time consumption, low consumer efficacy and lack of relevant and trustworthy information. The most potent facilitators were economic incentives, gains in comfort, reduced effort, tailored practical information, individual feedback and legislative actions.

The article reports a study performed in North-Trøndelag county in Norway, aiming at identifying the economic supply curve for forest fuels. Using an engineering economics approach, the potential forest fuel production is described as a function of the existing traditional forestry. Based on a set of energy raw materials including (i) harvesting residues, (ii) low-quality trees, (iii) thinnings and (iv) hardwoods, necessary adjustments of the existing forestry technology are described and used as a basis for the calculations. Depending on fuel market prices, a total annual amount of forest fuels close to 0.5 TWh is available in the county.

Smart grids are expected to become an essential component of the future energy system. The technical potential of smart grids is far reaching and increasingly well understood, and smart grids are now in the early phases of market deployment in several regions, particularly, in Europe and the US. Less understood than the technical aspects is how and to what degree end users (i.e. the customers) are willing and able to embrace smart grid technologies and the changes in mindset associated with this transition. This article reports the main findings from an IEA (International Energy Agency)-DSM (demand side management) project addressing the role of customers in a smart grid deployment scheme, specifically how customer behavior may restrict the technical potential of smart grids from being realized. With a model of household energy behavior as the theoretical point of departure, the research builds on experiences from various smart grid pilot studies, together with consumer research within similar domains, to identify behavioral challenges that are likely to hamper adoption of "smart grid behaviors". Based on this insight, a set of recommendations to minimize customer resistance to smart grid deployment is suggested.

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