Today, society as a whole is undergoing a transition. We need to break our dependence on fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Electrification is one way of doing this, based on renewable electricity and a sustainable energy system. Many actors are involved in this system and different fossil-free energy sources. Community building processes are involved at different levels.
Energy production, power demand and increased electricity use are changing the way power is routed and infrastructure decisions are becoming an increasingly important issue, albeit often in complex contexts, in urban planning.
There is also a risk that there will not be enough electricity in all parts of the country, and it is therefore important to create opportunities for more electricity production and transmission of the electricity produced so that it can reach different types of users such as industries, homes and vehicle charging infrastructure.
In order for energy systems to be developed so that the transition is possible, planning of this development is needed. This planning needs to be coordinated with other urban planning, such as where to locate housing or industry, or where to build roads and railways. This coordination is currently lacking. In order to make decisions, a basis for decision-making is needed. It is difficult to describe energy systems and understand the consequences of different decisions and plans. Various computer programs can be used to create digital models of energy systems and test different ways of developing them. This type of work is common in the manufacturing industry, where 'virtual factories' are used to create efficient manufacturing processes with shared information infrastructure and collaboration in clusters.
During thirty months, methods will be developed and used in practice to create plans for the development of energy systems and society in two municipalities in Skaraborg with energy companies included. After the project, the idea is that such plans will be scaled up with benefit to all Skaraborg municipalities and knowledge will be useful to many actors. In this way, the transition will be possible, new companies can be established, more jobs created and both cars and trucks run on electricity instead of gasoline and diesel. Together with climate benefits and value-creating digital transformation, there is enormous potential for social innovation.
Within the framework of the project, the online course "Future Electricity System Skaraborg" was created to strengthen knowledge about Sweden's electricity system, both as it was then and with a focus on the future.
The course is primarily aimed at municipal politicians and civil servants in Skaraborg, but is also relevant to other interested parties, regardless of place of residence. The course is offered free of charge and requires only about two hours of commitment.
The course, which consists of nine modules, can be completed at participants' own pace. It starts with an anonymous knowledge test, which helps participants to select relevant course elements based on their results.
After the course, participants had:
At the end of the course, participants can take a knowledge test and receive a training certificate.
| Main project manager | Anna Syberfeldt, Professor of Production Engineering at the University of Skövde |
| Project duration | June 2022 - November 2024 |
| Funders | The project is run by the University of Skövde with funding from Formas. |
| Skaraborgs kommunalförbund, West Sweden Energy Agency, part of Innovatum Science Park Read more about the project here: University of Skövde - Digital models will develop the energy system of the future |
