C.B.A. Kobus

Washing when the sun is shining! How users interact with a household energy management system

To make optimal use of sustainable energy, domestic electricity consumption should shift to match local supply conditions. Energy management systems (EMS) are a new sustainable technology that can help to disrupt consumers’ habits concerning electricity consumption, whilst reinforcing desired behaviours. This research examined the factors that influence the likelihood that people will shift their electricity consumption to match sustainable supply. Twenty-one interviews were conducted with households who had used the EMS ‘Smart Wash’ for several months. The findings showed that the likelihood of behaviour change is influenced by a combination of the users motivation, specific contextual factors and the design of the EMS. Based on these results, several recommendations are given for the future design of EMSs. Practitioner Summary: Energy management systems (EMS) are a new technology that encourages people to shift electricity consumption to match local solar supply. Interviews among users of an EMS showed that the likelihood of behaviour change is influenced by the combination of the users motivation, contextual factors and the EMS design.

Sharing lessons learned on developing and operating Smart Grid pilots with households

Today, technology is still leading Smart Grid development. Nevertheless, the awareness that it should be a multidisciplinary effort to foster public acceptance and even desirability of Smart Grids is increasing. This paper illustrates the added value of a multidisciplinary approach by sharing the lessons learned of setting up and accomplishing pilots with households, connected to a Smart Grid by an Energy Management System (EMS). This paper mainly intends to answer the question of how to engage households. It aims to be of value for initiators and developers of Smart Grid pilot concepts involving residential households.