Energy Efficiency Behaviour Workshop

Background

The IEA is embarking on a two-year work-stream to share proven-practice experience (from member countries and key non-member countries) with designing, implementing and evaluating innovative, people-centred energy efficiency policies. Initially the work will focus on the buildings sector (commercial, public and residential), before moving to other sectors, including transport and industry, over the course of the work-stream.

Objectives

The objectives of this work-stream are threefold:
1. Identify the range of cost-effective measures available to policymakers to deliver better energy efficiency outcomes, by taking into account behavioural and social factors.
2. Exchange lessons learned in terms of programme design, implementation and evaluation.
3. Explore replicability and scalability across different implementing organisations, geographical and sector boundaries, and social contexts.

The work steam will investigate the extent to which taking account of behaviour and social aspects can impact the take-up of energy efficiency measures, their energy-saving performance and the persistence of those energy savings. It will also explore the impact of changing consumer preferences on the design of energy efficiency policy.

Goals:

• Share experience with implementing a variety of measures in the buildings sector that take account of behavioural factors and societal aspects.
• Discuss to what extent small-scale interventions can be replicated and scaled up.
• Brainstorm how ongoing policies/initiatives can be strengthened with the lessons learned.

The workshop report can be accessed here.

WORKSHOP 1: BUILDINGS, ENERGY EFFICIENCY & BEHAVIOUR

The 11th and 12th of March, the IEA hosted a workshop on energy efficiency and behaviour in the buildings sector. The goal of this workshop was for representatives from IEA member countries and key emerging economies to share experiences with designing, implementing and evaluating innovative energy efficiency initiatives that take account of behavioural factors.  Experts from more than 30 countries participated in this event.  Click here for the Agenda.

Session 1. 

Understanding consumption, efficiency and demand:  Elizabeth Shove, DEMAND Centre, Lancaster University, UK

Piloting energy efficiency and behaviour policies in Mexico:  Santiago Creuheras Diaz, Director General of Energy Efficiency, Mexico 

Session 2. Experience across IEA and IPEEC countries

Energy efficiency and behaviour in India:  Arijit Sengupta, Bureau of Energy Efficiency

Changing behavior to drive greater energy efficiency--Lessons from two US programs (ENERGY STAR and Better Buildings):  Maria Vargas, US Department of Energy

Understanding consumer behaviour: Lessons from the subsidy policy for energy-efficient home appliances in China:  Yang Liu, Harbin Institute of Technology, China, Ecole Polytechnique, France

Maximizing Canada’s energy advantage through social innovation:  Laura Oleson, NRCAN, Canada

Energy efficiency and behaviour in South Africa:  Xolile Mabusela, Department of Energy, South Africa

Understanding consumer behaviour: Lessons from the subsidy policy for energy-efficient home appliances in China:  Olga Yudina, Ministry of Energy, Russia

Session 3. Building-sector initiatives

How NABERS ratings helped Australia achieve unprecedented energy savings in existing buildings: Carlos Flores, National Australian Built Environment Rating System, Australia

Do energy efficient buildings make energy efficient everyday life? Reflections on striving to increase energy efficiency in Swedish buildings:  Kajsa Ellegard, Linkoping University, Sweden

Swiss Energy and Climate Policy regarding the Building sector: A cost-benefit analysis,Lukas Gutzwiller, BFE, Switzerland

Case studies of achieving energy savings by applying lessons from behavioural sciences, Giulia Gioffreda, Head of Regulatory Affairs, OPower

Energy classes for households? First results of a field trial: Corinna Fischer, Senior Researcher, Oko-Institut, Germany

What is the relevant support package for users in order to achieve energy savings (is information sufficient)? Illustration from smart meters and NZEB projects: Albane Gaspard, ADEME, France

Thailand energy efficiency: Chetapong Chiralerspong, Ministry of Energy, Thailand

Session 4. Interacting with technologies

When a lousy interface interferes with energy-saving behaviours:  Alan Meier, Lawrence Berkeley Labs, USA

User interaction with heating controls to improve energy efficiency in the UK:  Jeremy Vincent, Customer Insight, Department of Energy Efficiency Deployment Office, UK

How users and energy efficient buildings/technologies interact and what we can learn from this in a Danish context: Kirsten Gram-Hansen, Danish Building Research Institute, Denmark

Session 5. Information campaigns

The Finnish Recipe to Energy Efficiency,Irmeli Mikkonen, Motiva, Finland

Information campaign in Hungary for cost effective renovation and less energy consumption:  Ilona Soltész, Ministry for National Development, Hungary 

Energy efficiency campaign in Poland – experience and lessons learned:  Aneta Ciszewska, Ministry of Economy, Poland

Session 6. Modelling behaviour

Occupant behavior simulation and definition in buildings:  Yan Da, Tsinghua University, IEA DSM Annex 66

Data driven modelling of behaviour for energy scenario analysis:  Luis Munuera, IEA

Session 7. Public-sector initiatives

Residential utility billing program: U.S. Army & Lend Lease experiences in saving energy through behaviour:  Brian Dean, IEA

No Lift Days – Italian public sector initiative: Linda Cifolelli and Alessandro Federici, ENEA, Italy

Optimising Power @ Work - A staff energy awareness campaign:  Conor Clarke, Office of Public Works, Ireland

Session 8. Lessons learned across countries

European Union: Experiences of policies for behaviour change from the Concerted Action Energy Efficiency Directive:  
Anette Persson, CA EED Core Theme Leader, CT6 Consumer information programmes

Did you behave the way we intended you to? Monitoring and evaluating behaviour change:  Ruth Mourik, IEA DSM Task 24, Closing the Loop