The Emerging Energy Web

TL;DR

This paper discusses the multidisciplinary challenges and solutions for creating an energy-efficient, interconnected energy infrastructure that integrates technology, socio-economic factors, and regulations to promote sustainable development.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the complex, multi-dimensional challenges and proposes integrated solutions for designing and operating the emerging energy web.

Findings

Holistic approaches are essential for energy-efficient interconnected systems.

Socio-economic incentives are crucial for supporting green infrastructure.

Integrated policies can significantly impact energy management.

Abstract

There is a general need of elaborating energy-effective solutions for managing our increasingly dense interconnected world. The problem should be tackled in multiple dimensions -technology, society, economics, law, regulations, and politics- at different temporal and spatial scales. Holistic approaches will enable technological solutions to be supported by socio-economic motivations, adequate incentive regulation to foster investment in green infrastructures coherently integrated with adequate energy provisioning schemes. In this article, an attempt is made to describe such multidisciplinary challenges with a coherent set of solutions to be identified to significantly impact the way our interconnected energy world is designed and operated.