Cross-border activity: User behaviour changes methodology Living Lab-

Living Lab

Botnia Living Lab

Background info on SABER & SITE

• SABER Case– Purpose to save 20% energy by visualizing consumption in private

homes– Consumers get full control of their energy consumption

• SITE case– Purpose to save 20% energy by visualizing consumption in a school– Involvement of the pupils designing the visualization– Three displays visualizing consumption in three different locations

• Classroom showing their consumption• Canteen showing whole schools consumption• Kitchen showing the kitchens consumption

Technological support in cases (for studying and measuring)

• Web portal • Discussion forum via KYAB• All energy consumption is stored in a data file.

Analysis of consumption and changes can be performed thanks to this.

• Sensors in class-rooms• Facebook groups for discussions• On-line questionnaires

Methods in cases

• Methods focused on increasing the users knowledge and awareness of their energy consumption – Questionnaires– Interviews– Log files– Information sessions– Visualization competitions

• These methods did not focus on stimulating behavior change by other means than visualization

Lessons learned in case

• Longitudinal studies are essential• Stimuli is important to create behavioral changes– Reminders from system. (e.g. a graph of the month usage

sent via e-mail)– Personal consultation and guidance based on individual

situation– Visualization in real time. In a central place in house (e.g.

kitchen). • Meters in each apartment is essential • Base line investigation. Status from start to be

able to compare (both in energy consumption and in behavior)

What do we know from theory?

Energy consumption decreases when stimulated by:– Money– Real time feedback– General information about energy saving– Energy consumption directly linked to effects on environment and

climate• Difficulties:

– Numerical representations do NOT lead to behavior change or increased awareness of their consumption

– Get feedback to work in the long run, users become accustomed– How the feedback should be presented– Many web-services included barriers to usage and change such as

login or problems related to the artifact

Different ways to visualize energy

• Pictures (icones with a prosperous tree or coral reef)

• Text • Diagrams (numerical data)• Physical artifacts (e.g. power aware cord)

Design implications

• Discrete feedback – nonintrusive• Micro activity based information – not general• Link to individuals – not collective• Give personal feedback• Users want to share their status for mutual

encouragement and development• Controllable – adjustable• Real-time data and history (illustrate trends and

changes)• Feedback in positive terms stimulates change – it

should be fun

Luleå Energy Case

• Test energy visualization technologies in private households

• Recruit and select 40 households• Baseline questionnaire about their interest in the

environment and energy consumption• Implement the technology• Each month an assignment and a few questions

will be sent to the users• Each assignment is related to psychological

motivators

Motivators and examples of actions

• Power – having influence and feel efficient– Clearly show that their actions lead to change in energy consumption

• Curiosity – want knowledge– Encourage users to compare and work with their energy consumption

to increase their knowledge about the subject• Independence – be autonomous

– Activities that offers several options among which they can choose• Status – social standing

– Highlight those who have saved most energy for a month• Social contact – peer companionship

– Arrange discussion forums and social media contact where they can discuss their energy saving tips with each other

Motivators and examples of actions

• Idealism – improve society– Increase their awareness of how their decreased energy consumption

is beneficial for the society and environment• Order – want stability

– Encourage users to look at trends, to identify large energy consumers, make them aware of their own behavior by giving them assignments that stimulates them to change

• Saving – value prudence– Ask the users to for example count their energy saving in money

• Tranquility – want to feel safe– Encourage users to look at trends, to identify large energy consumers,

to get control over their consumption

Follow up

• After each assignment, the users will get a few questions about: – follow up on the assignment as such to make sure they

have done it (e.g. fill in energy consumption)– the assignment as such: easy/difficult, fun/boring, etc– their experience of their energy consumption behavior

related to the assignment: influenced or not

Identifyed KPIs in case (how to measure behavioural changes)

• Energy consumtion (increase – decrease) • Activities with the purpose to save energy related

to motivators• Attitudes towards energy saving. (positive –

negative)

Questions

• How to stimulate behaviour change by giving them assignments? Which assignments could be stimulating?

• How to use motivators as a means to stimulate behaviour change?