Inspiration from animal’s collective behavior for home energy demand management

Abstract

An interdisciplinary approach towards managing energy demand through users’ behavior is discussed, drawing on knowledge from studies on collective behavior in nature. Studies on home energy demand management have focused mainly on social, technical and, more recently, socio-technical aspects that are considered largely at the individual levels only. However, emerging trends in social studies call for explorations across different social and spatial scales beyond the individual levels. This work distinguishes several principles and mechanisms of collective foraging decision-making from nature that respond to demand, including aspects of self-organization and stigmergy. The scoping of potential biological systems and behavioral aspects emulation aims to provide a foundation for agent-based modelling (ABM). Collective behavior emerges from local interactions of the individuals within a group, and nonlinear interactions between individuals and their environment enable them to accomplish tasks, such as structural construction, without the involvement of centralized control systems. Response to demand in nature is significantly influenced by information flow, processing, perception, and communication and coordination patterns between individuals, groups, and their environment. By studying these interactions and adapting their principles to the context of home energy management, we can develop new, more efficient, sustainable, and resilient approaches.