ComputingAutonomous SystemsInformation TechnologyEnergy ManagementEnergy SystemsInternet Of ThingsDemand-side Energy ManagementDemand-side ManagementEnergy ConservationEnergy Conservation BehaviorEnergy SustainabilityEnergy UseConsumer Energy BehaviorDomestic Energy ConsumptionEnergy ConsumptionEnergy Consumption FeedbackEnergy Feedback SystemsFeedbackHousehold Electricity UseUbiquitous Computing
Information and communication technology consumes energy but also helps conserve it by optimizing performance of energy‑using systems, supporting future sustainable electricity generation, and enabling smart technologies to reduce domestic consumption. The study aims to show that engaging consumers in energy monitoring can yield additional savings beyond automated efficiency gains, and presents a prototype that delivers real‑time household consumption feedback to encourage behavioral change. The authors developed a prototype application that delivers direct feedback on household electricity consumption to induce behavioral change. The authors find that consumer engagement through feedback can add energy savings beyond those achieved by automated systems.
Information and communication technology (ICT) consumes energy, but is also an important means of conserving energy. Conventionally, it has done so by optimizing the performance of energy-using systems and processes in industry and commerce. In the near future, ICT will also play a critical role in supporting the necessary paradigm shifts within the energy sector towards more sustainable electricity generation. However, with the advent of "smart" technology from the field of ubiquitous computing, further ways of reducing growing levels of domestic energy consumption are now emerging. With this in mind, we discuss how getting consumers "into the loop" can achieve energy savings on top of the efficiency gains resulting from automated systems, and we describe a prototype application aimed at inducing behavioral change by providing direct feedback on household electricity consumption.
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The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms
P. Wesley Schultz, Jessica M. Nolan, Robert B. Cialdini et al. · Psychological Science · 2007 · 3.7K citations · Full text