Push-Pull Energy Futures

Exploring Critical Scenarios of Algorithmic Energy Distribution with the Karma Kettle Game

“…Speculative design has been used to engage people in debates concerning algorithmic profiling and distributed energy systems [14], and there has been numerous participatory methods to investigate values around energy usage [13]. In our previous research, we used the Karma kettles in a longer-term study to understand how people negotiate agency with algorithms in order to balance energy withing a local network situated in a block of flats in Edinburgh, UK [15]. This study has been published at DIS in 2020 [15].…”

“…In our previous research, we used the Karma kettles in a longer-term study to understand how people negotiate agency with algorithms in order to balance energy withing a local network situated in a block of flats in Edinburgh, UK [15]. This study has been published at DIS in 2020 [15]. The Karma kettle game extends the applicability of the Karma Manuscript submitted to ACM kettles to engage people in issues around algorithmic profiling based on parameters from the UK energy usage census, and by providing a playful way of exploring these issues through a critical installation.…”

“…The Karma Kettles were originally designed to explore different levels of participation in distributed energy systems [15]. Interconnected, they mimic a scenario of domestic energy storage and local distribution, which allow people to track how much energy is stored in regional batteries (e.g.…”

“…The points vary from -9 to 9, according to the state of energy in the grid and in the regional storage network. They indicate when an action benefits or hinders the health of the energy system (see [15]. For example, a scenario of high availability in the grid and low regional storage would give a high, positive score for those who decide to store energy, a scenario of low availability in the grid would give a higher score for those who decide to push it back into the grid, etc.…”

“…In most part of the Western industrialised world, energy provision relies on national, centralised, grids. However, new technologies such as programmable batteries and algorithmic smart contracts have been increasingly explored to support a shift to Distributed Energy Systems, which are often seen as able to provide a) a more robust infrastructure that relies on a network of producers rather than a single energy source and central point of failure, b) more flexible and competitive markets that incorporate a wide range of producers and 'prosumers', and c) their ability to incentivise production of energy through sustainable resources [15]. However, underlying these systems are data-driven models designed to gauge demand, predict usage, regulate storage, and seamlessly balance energy, often in the background of people's awareness.…”