Seminar: "Friction design and microgrids: involving consumers in maintenance to encourage energy savings."

For this seminar, Nicolas Simoncini, Associate Professor at UTBM—FEMTO-ST Institute, History and Sociology of Technology—came to present the sociological study that he and his team conducted in the mountains of Réunion Island. By studying these constrained environments, the study highlights that the spatial proximity between off-grid renewable energy production and consumption sites fosters the emergence of lay expertise and encourages energy-saving practices.
Mr. Simoncini explored the design of a renewable hydrogen microgrid that can be maintained by consumers, demonstrating how regular maintenance and technical care practices can raise users’ awareness of the ecological and social implications of energy technologies, while fostering the development of energy-efficient behaviors. The study proposes several technical approaches centered on friction design, while discussing the limitations and social challenges related to maintainability and the appropriation of technical knowledge, as well as the legal framework for energy communities in France.