%0 Journal Article
%@ 2214-6296
%A Powells, G
%A Fell, M
%D 2019
%F discovery:10071036
%I Elsevier
%J Energy Research and Social Science
%K energy, flexibility, capital, justice
%P 56-59
%T Flexibility Capital and Flexibility Justice in Smart Energy Systems
%U https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10071036/
%V 54
%X Flexibility has increasing value across sectors of the economy, including energy. The ability  to be flexible is affected by a wide variety of sociotechnical factors and determines what we  term ‘flexibility capital’. Levels of flexibility capital vary in populations, both absolutely and in  the extent to which they are primarily derived from technological or social means, which has  implications for the (dis)comfort and (in)convenience involved in economising flexibility  capital. Furthermore, we argue that freedom of choice over whether and how to economise  flexibility capital can be limited by factors such as financial resources, among others. In  constrained systems (such as energy networks), the level of service enjoyed by the more  affluent may not simply be higher than those who are less affluent, but may be directly  enabled by reductions in the latter’s comfort and/or convenience which may not feel fully  voluntary. There is a real risk that such injustices could be locked into energy infrastructure  and market design and governance for the long term as has already happened in labour  markets. We introduce the concept of ‘flexibility justice’ as a frame for these issues of  fairness. While the concepts we offer in the paper emerge from longstanding engagements  with energy research contexts and they relate directly to the issues currently being debated  in the energy research and policy communities, we contend that they can be related to a  much broader range of issues in 21st century economies.
%Z This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.