Data in use: Energy efficiency improvements based on behavioral analytics (“Diana”)
Data-driven solutions aimed at energy efficiency improvements often fail, unless they take- into-account behavioral aspects. Through anthropological interviews and mapping of activities in public and nonprofit buildings, this project will identify existing data sources on energy consumption and comfort. IoT will be used to communicate actionable advice to decision-makers in order to reduce energy consumption and improve indoor climate.
Behavioral aspects are decisive, when it comes to reducing energy consumption in buildings. Several research projects have demonstrated that quite often users of buildings still suffer from poor indoor climate conditions and this may hamper anticipated energy savings.
This project will - based on rigorous observations of user habits – design a new technical concept, which is dedicated to improving energy efficiency in buildings without compromising indoor climate conditions. The goal is to design new communication models, which targets individual actors – administrators, operating staff and users - in such a way that the combined efforts leads to substantial energy savings in the order of 15-30 % without compromising user comfort.
Communication objectives will be achieved through better sensor usage, clever actuators and responsive thermostats. Technical solutions will be developed on the basis of anthropological mapping of activities in several buildings using existing data and new IoT sensors. These solutions will help to communicate data in order to secure a better integration between user comfort, central heating and ventilation systems.
Solutions will be tested in four public and two nonprofit buildings over the winter season 2020-21. During the test phase, it will be investigated whether the new ways of communication leads to expected energy savings and comfort improvements.
The “Diana”-project will lead to new knowledge about modern communication standards targeted at key stakeholders. This will help to provide behavioral feedback to users, managers and owners in a clear, distinctive and organized manner, which will help to document energy savings and user comfort.
Based on the performance gaps documented by several reports, the project aimed to increase understandings of how behavior affects the use and operation of public buildings, and further how to use this knowledge to promote active (and energy-friendly) behavior in selected user-groups, so that energy savings can be achieved.
The aim of the project has been to gain experience on how to communicate energy data, so that the usergroup can understand and act on that. The communication-initiatives has been designed specifically for the user-groups. The technical solution was developed based on an anthropological ‘mapping’. The main principle was that existing data should be utilized and supplemented with relevant IoT sensors. The solutions was then tested in four six public buildings.
The project has been organized in 6 work packages, which follow chronologically in continuation of each other. Unfortunately, due to the covid pandemic, the test and analysis parts were delayed as access to users was difficult. The process was therefore 'prolonged', and testing and analysis were performed in the heating season of 21/22.
The project has confirmed that there is a (large) potential for energy savings by using data in buildings, BUT that this requires the active involvement of the building users. During the project, energy savings of 7,7 % - 20 % were achieved. Without their involvement, potential savings risk ‘falling to the ground’. The project's anthropological analysis have shown that successful efforts require a good understanding of the organizational framework and knowledge building operation. The use of data to achieve energy savings must therefore reflect the existing ‘work-purposes’, so that it leads to recognition for the selected usergroups.
Furthermore, the project shows that there is great potential in collaborating and giving ongoing feedback in the development of technical solutions, and that it increases the user-friendliness and usability among the user group. The project's results show that there is an energy saving potential (10-20 %) by using data for e.g. visualizing and prioritizing between different energy optimization initiatives.
The results have increased understandings of why it is important to include behavioral perspectives in energy optimization initiatives that, for example, aim to reduce the energy consumption of public buildings. The results can furthermore be used in initiatives towards residential buildings, where behavioral perspectives are of great importance. The results show that future efforts must necessarily include social science and humanities perspectives, in order to gain a greater understanding of the contextual circumstances of which the technical solution must be a part. At the same time, the results emphasize that there is great potential for energy savings by using data to promote active behavior, but that this requires a thorough mapping beforehand.
Key figures
Category
Participants
| Partner | Subsidy | Auto financing |
|---|---|---|
| Lolland kommune | ||
| Høje Taastrup Kommune | ||
| Boligselskabet Sjælland | ||
| NCC Danmark A/S | ||
| Teknologisk Institut | ||
| Vitani Energy Systems A/S | ||
| NorthQ |
