The Psychology of Energy Conservation: Are You Smarter Than A Refrigerator?

Stanford ARPA-E Initiative:Energy Reductions

Through Sensors, Feedback, & Information Technology

June A. FloraPrecourt Energy Efficiency Center

Principal Investigator: Byron Reeves Department of Communication

Project Director: Carrie Armel Precourt Energy Efficiency Center

Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) • First FOA: 3,700 applications 37 awards (1 behavioral)• Stanford theme: “Leveraging wireless energy sensors with behavioral

science methods to maximize energy savings”• Duration: 2 years beginning April 1, 2010

Interdisciplinary• 20 projects• 15 faculty• 10 departments, 5 schools, 5 centers • 30+ students

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Precourt Energy Efficiency Center

Stanford Prevention Research Center

Center for Integrated Facility Engineering

Human Sciences and Technologies Advanced Research Institute

Design for Change Lab

Stanford ARPA-E Initiative: Energy Reductions Through Sensors, Feedback, & Information Technology

The opportunity

• A 10% reduction in energy use will lower the quantity of fossil fuels consumed and CO2 emissions produced by an amount roughly equal to a 25-fold increase in wind plus solar power, or a doubling of nuclear power (Sweeney, 2007).

• Much of the opportunity involves behavior change

The problem• Billions spent gathering information

• Smart sensors and infrastructure• Tons of information

• But energy efficiency information is often dull• Smart sensors alone will not change behavior• Complex User Interfaces• Problems are distant• Feedback separated from behavior• “What I get” not obvious (even $)

• Behavior change requires user engagement with energy information, skills to change, and motivation to maintain

The behaviors

• Eliminate wasted energy

• Purchase, install, and properly use technology

• Use settings & controls

• Maintenance of energy using appliances

• New behaviors that are lower energy

• Increase repeat behaviors

Integration of components

Energy sensors(Smart meters

Home Area Networks (HAN)+

Web enabledcomputers and mobile devices

+Feedback

(visualization, informative, interactive, fun, normative)

+Behavior Change Interventions

(Games, incentives, competitions, curricula)

Utility Company

Utility Company

Central Server

Household Energy

Reduction

Household Energy

Reduction

Community•Girl Scouts

•Retrofit Programs

Media•Feedback Interface •Multiplayer Game•Video Vignettes

•Web 2.0•Desktop Dashboard Gadget

•Phone apps

Technology •Sensors & Networking

•Computational Infrastructure•Behavior Related Analytics

Cross-Cutting Projects•Computer infrastructure for prototyping & analysis•Foundational work to inform interventions•Large-scale engineering & economic modeling

The Plan: Complementary Interventions

Policy•Novel Incentives

•Markets•Nudges to Purchase

EE Appliances

The scaleable benefits1. Reduce residential & SMB energy use:

Use quantification to enable:• Feedback – personal and social • Social games• Incentives • Competitions • Data visualization

2. Refine sensor hardware and communication protocols

3. Develop programs: Create best practices with unprecedented speed, ease, cost, and scale

4. Transform evaluation: Ability to rapidly assess program efficacy

5. Improve economic and energy models to inform policy