Bottom-Up Design Patterns and the Energy Web

The technology world is experiencing the emergence of a generation of massive-scale networked digital systems, performing complex operations that are partially out of the control of the systems´ designers. This is the case, e.g., of pervasive computing environments, characterized by the proliferation of embedded electronic devices with communication and computing capabilities, able to network themselves forming a “digital halo” surrounding the user in its daily activities. In this paper, we advocate the use of bottom-up design patterns, able to build on results in complex systems science and systems biology, for devising new solutions for designing and managing such environments. We also present a possible application to a novel cyberphysical ecosystem, that we call the Energy Web, arising from the combination of innovative information and communication technologies with distributed renewable energy sources.