Energy Efficiency Educator – early stages of an interactive tool to help reduce heating energy demand in residential buildings

Panel: 5. Energy use in buildings: projects, technologies and innovation

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Shen Wei, Plymouth University, United Kingdom
Julie Goodhew, School of Psychology, Plymouth University, United Kingdom
Yaqub Rafiq, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Plymouth University, United Kingdom
Sabine Pahl, School of Psychology, Plymouth University, United Kingdom
Pieter de Wilde, Building Performance Analysis Group, Plymouth University, United Kingdom

Abstract

Reducing residential energy consumption is a key target for energy demand reduction and for achieving the UK Government’s 2050 target for CO2 emission reduction. Reducing energy consumption in residences requires the engagement of occupants, e.g. using more efficient appliances, low carbon technologies, retrofitting one-off energy saving measures (such as insulation and draught proofing) and adopting daily energy saving behaviours. This paper introduces an Energy Efficiency Educator (EEE) developed as part of the Energy Visualization for Carbon Reduction (eViz) research project in the UK (eviz.org.uk). The EEE aims to combine dynamic building simulation with a user-friendly interface to allow exploration of tailored options that leads to better decisions in non-experts.

The EEE offers a menu of energy-efficiency parameters to be input and changed by the occupants so that they can model the effect of changing building operations, e.g. turning down the thermostatic setpoint or reducing the boiler running time. The energy saving potential of adopting these energy-efficient behaviours is estimated using dynamic building performance simulation in EnergyPlus, based on typical UK housing types. This responds to a desire in building users to be given tailored advice, as opposed to exemplar case studies (Abrahamse et al., 2005, Guy and Shove, 2000, Gifford, 2014).

This tool was based on collaboration between researchers from both psychology and building science. It uses dynamic building performance simulation to demonstrate the impact of interventions on building energy demand so as to help building occupants make decisions on changing behaviour by showing them the likely consequences of their actions, but tailored to their own building and environment.

This paper presents some initial qualitative feedback from a pilot study (N = 14) exploring the tool with real building occupants, so as to assess the usefulness of such a tool and how potential tool users respond to it. These findings will enhance and inform further development of this tool.