| 摘要 | ABSTRACT
1. Research Background and Purpose
ICT convergence in the energy sector is expected to bring huge changes in the energy industry and related policies. The evolution to smart energy have not only remained a matter of technologies, but have also become the issue requiring comprehensive studies across social and economic aspects, such as the changes of value chain in the energy industry, the expansion of consumers�� market participation, and the emergence of various stakeholders. As new technologies and new participants have appeared, new markets are being created, and industrial structures are changing. Along with these phenomena, consumers�� roles are also changing. They do not simply consume energy but provide suppliers with information on their energy consumption and sell the remains or energy which they have generated to the market. In addition, various stakeholders concerning the efficiency enhancement and the response to climate change on the basis of intellectualization have come out across the entire energy sectors including oil, gas, renewables, nuclear power as well as electricity.
In order to actively cope with these environmental changes, it is required to comprehend the architecture for ICT convergence in the energy sector and its influences. Thus, this study investigates the development of ICT convergence and its influences and suggests a theoretical basis for facilitating creative economy in the energy sector. Further, it provides policy suggestions for dealing with the evolving energy industry according to the ICT convergence.
2. Summary and Policy Implications
This study attempts to integrate arguments about ICT convergence which have tended to be discussed separately. Further, it provides a systematic review of the development of ICT convergence and its influences. ICT convergence has been progressed across all energy sources and life-cycles. Moreover, the value chain in the energy industry has been changed from a linear structure to a variety of complex structures, and consumers have occupied the central position in the value chain. As companies supplying new products and services have increasingly participated in the process, and accordingly, new types of cooperation and conflict have occurred, some companies that fail to create values and to satisfy customers would collapse.
This study investigates how long-term business trends based on ICT would be applied to the energy sector. According to the development of the technologies for big data analysis and of the Internet of things, the utilization of energy data has been promoted. Also, the market value of such data has risen, and business models oriented to ICT have been expanded in the energy sector. Moreover, SNS as a means of business has been exploited to enhance the communication between energy suppliers and their consumers as well as the uses of new smart energy services. Further, it has become a main source of other big data.
These changes have been steadily progressed with the development of technologies and the changes of consumer needs. However, the opportunities to share energy data and to participate in the smart energy market should be more expanded in order to promote the creation of new values on the basis of ICT convergence in the energy sector. Generally, new services based on ICT utilize energy data. Thus, it requires the establishment of an energy data sharing system which facilitates new energy services in exchange for appropriate payment, while securing personal information of energy consumers. Furthermore, efforts to create new jobs and to reinforce the competitiveness of energy industry should be intensified by expanding opportunities to provide new energy services.
However, it must not be overlooked that risks accompanied by smart energy should be properly responded. Along with the ICT convergence, risks according to the ICT would be recognized in the energy sector too. In particular, precautions against a threat to cyber security and private information exposure are emphasized. In smart energy circumstances, the connections on energy networks and the exchange of information would be expanded, and accordingly, attacking routes to cyber security would be also varied. Furthermore, risks to expose personal data by the energy data use would increase. Therefore, the measures to prevent or minimize these risks should be continuously developed.
Risks accompanied by the implementation of smart energy directly link to the acceptance of it. Consumers are aware of not only the advantages but also the risks of smart energy. This awareness affects to reduce the intention to use smart energy. Thus, it is significant to improve the recognition of risks related to smart energy, while promoting the awareness of usefulness of smart energy technologies in accordance with flexible pricing, in order to enhance the acceptance of smart energy. Further, endeavors to minimize the gap between customers�� expectations and satisfactions are needed. In other words, it should make consumers not to have excessive expectations on smart energy. This implies that education and promotion of smart energy should not deliver too much information. Also, when developing smart energy technologies, it needs to keep the balance between the attempts to maximize the advantages of smart energy and to minimize the risks of it. In addition, improved compatibility with existing technologies and intuitively designed user interface are needed in order to enhance the ease of smart energy.
Smart energy is not a short-term trend, but a mega trend which will bring consistent changes in the energy sector with the development of ICT. Domestically, businesses using ICT have been actively carried out mainly in the electricity industry. However, ICT convergence is progressed across the entire energy areas and suggests solutions for each area. For national informatization, national visions on smart energy should be established, and the ICT convergence businesses of the electricity sector need to be developed connected with other energy intellectualization businesses. It is also important to design the desirable future concerning the changes of energy supply-demand, of competitive composition between market participants, and of policies and regulations as well as the convergence of technologies. |
