scholarly journals People-Centred Approach for ICT Tools Supporting Energy Efficient and Healthy Behaviour in Buildings

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Tisov ◽  
Dan Podjed ◽  
Simona D’Oca ◽  
Jure Vetršek ◽  
Eric Willems ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Feedback Systems ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
Project Objectives

This paper attempts to alter a prevailing assumption that buildings use energy to an understanding that in fact, people use energy. Therefore, to successfully accelerate the transition to a low-carbon society and economy more emphasis should be on motivating people and increasing their awareness by making them energy conscious building users and therefore active players in the energy transition process. In this context, this paper provides insights from the Horizon 2020 MOBISTYLE project. It demonstrates research and development approaches, highlights the main project objectives, and presents findings of an ethnographic (qualitative) study of users’ habits, practices, and needs. The aim of the project is to motivate behavioural change by raising consumer awareness through the provision of attractive personalized information on user’s energy use, indoor environment and health, all enabled by an integrated information and communication technology (ICT) service. In this context, the anthropological people-centred approach is integrated into the MOBISTYLE approach putting users at the centre of the ICT tools development process. The main quantitative objective of the project is a reduction of energy use for at least 16 % prompted by the provision of combined information and feedback systems on energy, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and health. The most relevant motivational factors and key performance indicators (KPIs) for encouraging a more energy conscious and healthy lifestyle were defined by means of a people-centred approach, adopting anthropological inquiries in different settings. Information about users’ lifestyles and their needs was collected in focus groups with potential users in five case studies, located in different European Union (EU) countries. Behaviour change is achieved through awareness campaigns, which encourage users to be pro-active about their energy consumption and to simultaneously improve health and well-being.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Human Well-Being and Carbon Emissions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 547
Author(s):  
Qin Li ◽  
Hongmin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Relationship

Governments around the world are actively exploring strategies to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. In addition to technological progress, promoting a transformation of residents’ behaviors to a low carbon mode is also a solution. Many people are concerned about how to reduce carbon emissions while ensuring human well-being. Starting from the comparative analysis of two main theories of human well-being, this paper sorted out existing well-being measurement methods from the perspectives of “top-down” and “bottom-up” and further sorted out research on the relationship between human well-being and energy carbon emissions. While “top-down” research is conducive to the layout of macro policies, “bottom-up” research can better help to promote the transformation of society to a low carbon life by estimating the energy consumption and carbon emissions contained in human needs. Current research discusses human well-being, human needs, energy use and carbon emissions, respectively, but they are not systematically integrated. Furthermore, this paper proposes a framework combining these aspects to analyze the relationship between human well-being and carbon emissions. In addition, this paper suggests future research directions.

scholarly journals THE VIABILITY OF AN INTEGRATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR URBAN DESIGN AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T.F. Poon
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Urban Transformation ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
The Face ◽  
Political Economic

Environmental justice is an increasingly problematic proposition, as the clash of political, economic, social and community interests invariably occur. The purpose of this research is to examine the viability of an integrated framework that establishes environmental justice from economic, social and cultural development perspectives in Malaysia. Case studies analysing Iskandar Low Carbon Blueprint (LCB) 2025 and the River of Life Project (ROL) are presented. Findings suggest that clear national policies on urban transformation is an increasingly important environmental justice issue in Malaysia, but sustaining liveability is a challenge in the face of more critical decisions on infrastructural and resource management and energy use, resulting in a lack of attitudinal and behavioural change in urban planning programmes. This suggests that meaningful stakeholder engagements and collaborations contribute in planning economically and ecologically viable solutions and initiatives for liveable and resilient cities.

Households’ potential to decrease their environmental impacts

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-212
Author(s):  
Hannele Ahvenniemi ◽  
Tarja Häkkinen
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Feedback Systems ◽  
Household Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ghg Savings

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to quantify the potential levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) and cost savings from a set of households’ energy saving measures, considered as “everyday choices”. Design/methodology/approach Four areas of living were selected for the study: household electricity, space heating, transport and food consumption. The study used a quantitative research approach in which the impact of selected scenarios of an average Finnish household was assessed. Findings Findings suggest that GHG savings from behavioural change regarding household electricity remain marginal in comparison to savings gained from transportation related measures. Transportation also provides the most cost-efficient ways to decrease GHGs but not in all cases. Based on the results, the authors suggest that smart technologies, such as on-line, active feedback systems could have a major role in guiding household energy use. Also, given the high GHG savings from transport, the authors highlight the importance of providing infrastructure and services for clean mobility, and in designing well-functioning and compact cities enabling shorter travels. Originality/value The aim of our study was twofold – by analysing the case household’s choices, we obtained information on environmental and economic impacts, but in addition to this, the aim was to open discussion on the role of households in tackling climate change and how to support households in making sustainable choices. Although research regarding household energy behaviour is vast, so far very few studies have focused on both economic and environmental impacts of households’ everyday actions.

scholarly journals Bridging the gap: The need for a systems thinking approach in understanding and addressing energy and environmental performance in buildings

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Shrubsole ◽  
I. G. Hamilton ◽  
N. Zimmermann ◽  
G. Papachristos ◽  
T. Broyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health And Well Being

Innovations in materials, construction techniques and technologies in building construction and refurbishment aim to reduce carbon emissions and produce low-energy buildings. However, in-use performance consistently misses design specifications, particularly those of operational energy use and indoor environmental quality. This performance gap risks reducing design, technology, sustainability, economic, health and well-being benefits. In this paper, we compare settings of the Chinese and the UK buildings sectors and relate their historical context, design, construction and operation issues impacting energy performance, indoor environmental quality, occupant health and well-being. We identify a series of key, common factors of ‘total’ building performance across these two settings: the application of building regulations, the balance between building cost and performance, skills, construction and operation. The dynamic and complex interactions of these factors are currently poorly understood and lead to building performance gaps. We contend that a systems approach in the development of suitable building assessment methods, technologies and tools could enable the formulation and implementation of more effective policies, regulations and practices. The paper illustrates the application of the approach to the UK and Chinese settings. A full application of a systems approach may help to provide a more dynamic understanding of how factor interactions impact the ‘total’ building performance gaps and help address its multiple causes.

scholarly journals THE VIABILITY OF AN INTEGRATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR URBAN DESIGN AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T.F. Poon
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Urban Transformation ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
The Face ◽  
Political Economic

Environmental justice is an increasingly problematic proposition, as the clash of political, economic, social and community interests invariably occur. The purpose of this research is to examine the viability of an integrated framework that establishes environmental justice from economic, social and cultural development perspectives in Malaysia. Case studies analysing Iskandar Low Carbon Blueprint (LCB) 2025 and the River of Life Project (ROL) are presented. Findings suggest that clear national policies on urban transformation is an increasingly important environmental justice issue in Malaysia, but sustaining liveability is a challenge in the face of more critical decisions on infrastructural and resource management and energy use, resulting in a lack of attitudinal and behavioural change in urban planning programmes. This suggests that meaningful stakeholder engagements and collaborations contribute in planning economically and ecologically viable solutions and initiatives for liveable and resilient cities.

Common Enemies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Kahn Best
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Comprehensive Data ◽  
Time Changes ◽  
Perception Of Health ◽  
Individual Disease ◽  
Improve Health

Americans come together to fight diseases. For over 100 years, they have asked their neighbors to contribute to disease campaigns and supported health policies that target one disease at a time. Common Enemies asks why disease campaigns are the battles Americans can agree to fight, why some diseases attract more attention than others, and how fighting one disease at a time changes how Americans distribute charitable dollars, prioritize policies, and promote health. Drawing on the first comprehensive data on thousands of organizations targeting hundreds of diseases over decades, the author shows that disease campaigns proliferate due to the perception of health as a universal goal, the appeal of narrowly targeted campaigns, and the strategic avoidance of controversy. They funnel vast sums of money and attention to a few favored diseases, and they prioritize awareness campaigns and medical research over preventing disease and ensuring access to healthcare. It’s easy to imagine more efficient ways to promote collective well-being. Yet the same forces that limit the potential of individual disease campaigns to improve health also stimulate the vast outpouring of money and attention. Rather than displacing attention to other problems, disease campaigns build up the capacity to address them.

scholarly journals DRIvE Project Unlocks Demand Response Potential with Digital Twins

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Laura Pérez ◽  
Juan Espeche ◽  
Tatiana Loureiro ◽  
Aleksandar Kavgić
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Demand Response ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Distribution Grid ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Future Workshop ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
Innovation Project

DRIvE (Demand Response Integration Technologies) is a research and innovation project funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Program, whose main objective is unlocking the demand response potential in the distribution grid. DRIvE presented how the use of digital twins de-risks the implementation of demand response applications at the “Flexibility 2.0: Demand response and self-consumption based on the prosumer of Europe’s low carbon future” workshop within the conference “Sustainable Places 2020”. This workshop was organized to cluster and foster knowledge transfer between several EU projects, each developing innovative solutions within the field of demand response, energy flexibility, and optimized synergies between actors of the built environment and the power grid.

scholarly journals Environmental Citizenship and Energy Efficiency in Four European Countries (Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Hungary)

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1154
Author(s):  
Ibolya Czibere ◽  
Imre Kovách ◽  
Gergely Boldizsár Megyesi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
The Social

In our paper we aim at analysing the social factors influencing energy use and energy efficiency in four different European countries, using the data from the PENNY research (Psychological social and financial barriers to energy efficiency—Horizon 2020). As a part of the project, a survey was conducted in four European countries (Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Hungary) to compare environmental self-identity, values and attitudes toward the energy use of European citizens. Previous research has examined the effect of a number of factors that influence individuals’ energy efficiency, and attitudes to energy use. The novelty of our paper that presents four attitudes regarding energy use and environmental consciousness and compares them across four different regions of Europe. It analyses the differences between the four attitudes among the examined countries and tries to understand the factors explaining the differences using linear regression models of the most important socio-demographic variables. Finally, we present a typology of energy use attitudes: four groups, the members of which are basically characterised by essentially different attitudes regarding energy use. A better understanding of the diversity of energy use may assist in making more accurate policy decisions.

scholarly journals Critical Determinants of Household Electricity Consumption in a Rapidly Growing City

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4441
Author(s):  
Sharif Shofirun Sharif Ali ◽  
Muhammad Rizal Razman ◽  
Azahan Awang ◽  
M. R. M. Asyraf ◽  
M. R. Ishak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Monthly Income ◽  
Increase Energy Efficiency ◽  
Resource Sustainability ◽  
Technology Improvement

Despite growing urban electricity consumption, information on actual energy use in the household sector is still limited and causal factors leading to electricity consumption remain speculative due to urban expansion and its growing complexity, particularly in developing countries such as Malaysia. This study aims to examine the critical determinants of household electricity consumption by evaluating the patterns and flows of consumption and analysing relationships and their effects on electricity usage among 620 urban households in Seremban, Malaysia. Results suggest that the average urban household electricity consumption is 648.31 kWh/month; this value continues to grow with the increase in the household monthly income (r = 0.360; p < 0.01) and number of rooms (r = 0.360; p < 0.01) as quality of life improves. A large portion of electricity is allocated for kitchen/home consumption, followed by cooling and lighting. Multiple linear regressions revealed that married households with a high monthly income and living in spacious houses together with three to five people are important predictors of electricity consumption in Seremban. This study empirically identified that the number of rooms is the most critical factor of electricity consumption and strategies to increase energy efficiency, maintain resource sustainability and minimise greenhouse gas threat on the urban ecosystem are vital. Therefore, promoting low carbon initiatives for energy conservation and technology improvement and implementing policies in the domestic sector are essential to achieve the greatest potential energy consumption reduction in urban regions.

HIEQ LAB: A NOVEL FULL-SCALE FACILITY WITH OCCUPANTS TO INVESTIGATE INTEGRATIVE LIGHTING AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN A MULTI-DOMAIN APPROACH

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Giovannini ◽  
V.R.M. Lo Verso ◽  
F. Favoino ◽  
V. Serra ◽  
A. Pellegrino
Keyword(s):  
Human Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Real Space ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Building Components ◽  
Lighting Systems ◽  
And Control

The new HIEQ Lab (Health, well-being and Indoor Environmental Quality Laboratory) is presented. It is a living lab, primarily intended for research on human performance, comfort, and well-being, integrated with the energy performance in a completely controlled real space. Users are involved as active players in controlling and assessing building components and design strategies for health, well-being and IEQ requirements. Experimental activities will be addressed through a multi-domain approach that combines lighting, acoustic, air quality and thermal issues. For what concerns lighting, the laboratory is conceived to study the performance of daylighting and electric lighting systems and control solutions, focusing on the relationship between lighting conditions and human performance, comfort, and well-being. The paper reports the results of a literature review on existing lighting research facilities, and then describes the features of the new HIEQ Lab and its main research objectives, with a focus on lighting and daylighting research opportunities.

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