Open AccessFuture converging infrastructures
Author(s) -
Christian Büscher,
Dirk Scheer,
Lisa Nabitz
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
zeitschrift für technikfolgenabschätzung in theorie und praxis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2568-020X
pISSN - 2567-8833
DOI - 10.14512/tatup.29.2.17
Subject(s) - renewable energy , process (computing) , energy sector , risk analysis (engineering) , industrial organization , computer science , environmental economics , business , economics , engineering , electrical engineering , operating system
The process of converging infrastructures – the integration and coupling of the energy, transport, heating and cooling sectors – challenges technological paradigms and economic structures as well as patterns of individual and collective action. Renewable energy sources (RES), physical and digital networks, and new market opportunities promise more efficient use of energy and reduced emissions. However, every technological solution creates new problems. Therefore, we propose to analyze possible developments by exposing socio-technical problems. This contribution analyses recent studies drawing on sector coupling and assesses the consequences of converging infrastructures.