New effort on innovation for reduced electricity use in Sweden

The investment complements the Energy Agency's campaign Every kilowatt hour (kWh) counts by quickly bringing about innovations and project with a lasting impact on electricity use.

Right now, the energy situation throughout Europe is severely strained as a result of the war in Ukraine. The price levels for electricity are high and may rise even more in the winter. The margins in the electricity system are smaller than they have been in many years, and this means an increased risk that the electricity will not be sufficient for a few hours during cold winter days. The situation improves both by reducing and shifting the use of electricity throughout the day.

- Reduced electricity use leads to lower costs for households and businesses. And when demand decreases, we most likely also get falling electricity prices. We know that if we can reduce electricity use by a couple of three percent, we reduce the risk of disturbances in the electricity system by up to five times. We hope this effort will produce concrete results quickly but also lastingly, says Robert Andrén, director general at the Energy Agency.

The focus of the investment is on innovative solutions that can be used in the near term and that lead to a reduction in electricity use within 6–12 months.

- The energy situation in Sweden and Europe is serious, but at the same time provides an opportunity to act for solutions that both have an immediate effect and contribute to a long-term energy transition. The circumstances direct the spotlight and create incentives in an area where we judge that efforts can generate great social benefit, says Darja Isaksson, director general at Vinnova.

The investment is aimed at companies and organizations that can create innovations or behavioral changes that enable individuals and society to reduce and adjust electricity use.

The total budget for the call Innovations for reduced electricity use is SEK 10 million. About 20 project can be given support.