Delivering carbon-neutral goals through smart social learning in communities: A cross-cultural analysis of three Asian cities (Kyoto, Seoul and Hong Kong)

This is an interdisciplinary, comparative case study of smart end-user driven energy transitions in three East Asian cities (Kyoto, Seoul and Hong Kong), involving a total of 150 households. The study aims to explore how smart social learning processes can be scaled up to enable long-lasting changes in residential energy behaviour with a focus on energy saving and solar adoption at the community scale. We aim to develop an integrated conceptual framework that adopts a cross-cultural perspective to conceptualising the social learning mechanisms of end-user driven energy transitions. In the context of smart grid developments, social learning is defined as learning through social interaction that emphasises (i) data-enabled envisioning (what an end-user can aspire what he or she can do); (ii) experimentation (trying out innovative local initiatives in community settings); and (iii) deliberative participation (through which to, for example, make informed decisions on trade-offs). The cross-cultural perspective compares the public values, social norms and household energy practices across the three cities, exploring the importance of energy culture in shaping and limiting the smart social learning of end-users.