Collective interdependence. Applying systems thinking to decentralized smart energy systems for accelerated neighbourhood level circularity

With the Anthropocene epoch causing massive environmental shifts, natural resources are being depleted at a faster rate than ever. Countries all over the world are setting ambitious goals in the domains of climate change, energy and circularity transitions on a national and city level. The concept of smart cities is also gaining momentum with cities adopting digital ways of achieving the same, some even scaling down to the neighbourhood scale. The Netherlands has been working on neighbourhood level circular projects extensively as well, however, mostly from the perspective of managing waste or water and not energy. Although energy itself is transitional in nature, energy systems in a neighbourhood also influence circularity systemically. This research takes a multi- disciplinary systems perspective towards neighbourhood circularity and energy systems by studying about the impact of the development and implementation of decentralized smart energy systems on neighbourhood circularity, thus aiming to have an integrated approach towards energy and circularity. Using the case of Schoonschip, an ambitious circular neighbourhood in Amsterdam, this explains the conditions (drivers and barriers) under which the development and implementation of DSES accelerate neighbourhood level circularity and simultaneously fill the literature gap in assessing neighbourhood level circularity.

The study took a two way approach with firstly conducting a literature review to set the theoretical foundation to gain insights on neighbourhood circularity and the conditions for DSES development such as technological, economic/market, institutional/policy, political, socio-cultural and environmental conditions and their connections to circularity. Based on the conceptual framework formed from it, the indicators deduced are tested against Schoonschip neighbourhood. Taking a predominantly qualitative approach, interviews were conducted and a survey along with content analysis was also done to support the findings.

The results from that showed that Schoonschip is doing well in circularity, with high scores in ‘innovation’ and ‘environment and GHG emissions’ but scored relatively lower in ‘circular input’ and ‘circular activities’, however, with all four of them still being on the positive side. An interconnection among these indicators was also established through systems mapping. A big contribution of DSES was observed from technological, socio-cultural and institutional conditions. Technological conditions have a direct impact on Schoonschip’s circularity. Socio-cultural conditions share a direct as well as indirect impact, influencing circularity through knowledge, participation and willingness. These factors are also accelerated by technological conditions enabling co-producing, sharing and informing. The institutional conditions played an equal role in facilitating other conditions such as environmental and economic conditions to pull of an advanced social, technical and economic innovation such as DSES, thus also reinforcing the systemic connection between the conditions.

Overall, Schoonschip exhibits a societal role in circularity, showing how technologies, specifically DSES can help support living as a community. The study proved that circularity in urban areas incorporates a major social aspect dealing with people’s habits, daily practices and lifestyle, thus starting from the lowest scale of consumer and going on to building design (meso) and finally the neighbourhood as a whole. The barriers deduced from the data analysis further guided in providing recommendation to improve the circularity of Schoonschip through technological, socio-cultural, economic, environmental and institutional improvements. On a broader scale, policy coordination, consideration of legal frameworks on a neighbourhood scale for more innovation as well as flexibility in institutional systems was presented as a way forward.