Ulrika Jardfelt, chair of the Hammarby Sjöstad Energy Community, sees great potential in both the Spara chatbot and the digital control room. But for real impact, she says, the tools need to become more user-friendly and better adapted to local needs.
How can digital tools support local energy initiatives based on participation and shared learning? That’s one of the questions Ulrika Jardfelt reflects on after testing two prototypes currently being developed within DigiCityClimate: the language model Spara and a digital control room for visualising energy data.
“It was exciting to see the control room prototype for the first time. There’s still work to be done before it becomes user-friendly enough for ordinary people, but I could definitely see the potential,” she says.
A space for co-creation
For Ulrika, the key is that these tools should support collective learning within the energy community – where both housing association boards and individual residents bring different perspectives and knowledge to the table.
“Some people might be energy nerds and dive into the data analysis. Others can benefit from that work without needing to understand every detail. We don’t all need to know everything – we can learn together.”
Co-creation is a theme that comes up often in the conversation. Ulrika describes how the digital control room could serve as a shared space – not just for viewing data, but also for exchanging insights.
“If someone creates a useful view or spots something interesting in the data, they should be able to share it with others. It’s not just a tool you use once – it could become a hub for ongoing collaboration.”
Spara needs to understand our everyday context
The chatbot Spara, based on a language model similar to ChatGPT, also sparked interest. Ulrika appreciates the ability to phrase energy questions in everyday language – and get understandable answers.
“I really like these language models. Being able to talk about your problem in a natural way is a big step forward compared to searching through tables or technical documentation.”
But like the control room, Spara must go beyond generic advice.
“To be useful in our context, Spara needs to take into account the local energy community here in Hammarby Sjöstad. Otherwise, you might as well ask a regular chatbot and get a standard answer.”
For residents – and those responsible for energy
Ulrika sees that the tools could serve different purposes depending on who uses them. Residents might want tips and inspiration for everyday energy choices, while boards and active groups need more detailed data and decision support.
“Sure, Spara can say ‘take shorter showers’ – but so can any newspaper. If you’re responsible for a building and its energy performance, then you need support to understand what can actually be done – here and now.”
Text: Carina Näslundh
