task 24 - why polar bears are good in the shower

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IEA DSM Task 24 - Closing the Loop - Behavior

Change in DSM: From Theory to Policies and Practice

Verena Tiefenbeck

Bits to Energy Lab, ETH Zurich

iHomeLab (Hochschule Luzern), October 15, 2012

The Bits to Energy Lab is a research initiative of the ETH Zurich, the University of St. Gallenand the University of Bamberg.

� Information Management

(E. Fleisch, ETH Zurich, lead)

� Distributed Systems Group

(F. Mattern, ETH Zurich)

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 2

� Operations Management

(E. Fleisch, University St. Gallen)

� Energy Efficient Systems

(T. Staake, University Bamberg)

We combine IT and social science concepts tomotivate households to reduce their energyconsumption.

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 3

� Measure / Retrieve

behavioral data

� Data analytics

� Place Interventions

(targeting behavior

or enhancing

automation)

� Measure and

adjust

� Research-based

implementation

� Transfer to

practice in

collaboration with

organizations

Our study was carried out in collaboration with partners from Academia, Industry and Politics.

� Bits to Energy Lab at ETH Zurich (lead)

� Amphiro AG

� ewz (Energiewerke Zürich)

� BFE (Swiss Federal Department of Energy)

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 4

� University of Lausanne

Behavioral science insights need to be translated into scaled interventions and products.

� Attitudes, perceptions, habits, subconscious

processes,,

� Social sciences: mechanisms for behavior change

� Promising and cost-effective pilots and prototypes

� Application and large-scale implementation is missing

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 5

� Application and large-scale implementation is missing

� Rocky path from concept / prototype to large-scale

deployment

Hot water is 2nd largest contributor to residential energy use, but hardly measured and brought to users‘ attention.

� Powering metering devices is tricky in wet environment

� Energy dimension: low awareness

� Feedback at point of consumption

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 6

� Easy to understand

� High user control

� Visible and tangible (water)

Source: DoE Buildings Energy Data Book 2011

Promising results of a pilot study motivated further R&D to move from prototype to mass production.

Pilot study (2011) with promising results:

� Prototype of smart shower meter

� Energy and water consumption: 22% reduction

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 7

However:

� Sample size (N=61)

� Sampling bias

� Methodological issues

→ Further research and development, cleaner & larger study

Users can install the smart water meter amphiro a1 in three simple steps.

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 8

What the smart water meter measures and displays

Measures

� Flow rate

� Temperature

� Duration (shower, interruptions)

Derived from thatper shower

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 9

Derived from that

� Water volume

� Energy consumption

Display (standard)

� Temperature

� Water volume

� Energy efficiency class

� Polar bear animation

Amphiro harvests its

energy from the water flow.

One third of the 697 participating households were randomly assigned into the control group (only temperature displayed).

Con-trol

groupTreat-

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 10

group

33%

Treat-mentgroup

67%

Our 2-month study combines shower data with survey information.

csv

csv

csv

csv

csv

csv

csv

csv

csv

csv

csv

46,835 showers in 636 households

697 initial surveys,coded

629 complete

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 11

629 complete datasets

Survey & smart metering data

(Uni Lausanne)

666 final surveys, coded

What the implementation of the field trial looked like in reality4

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 12

Visual data readout

The vast majority of study participants was overall satisfied with the device (83%) and intended to continue using it (79%).

10%

4%

5%

2%

"I / We intend to continue using

the device after the study."

10%

5%

2% 1%

"I'm overall satisfied with the

shower meter."

Agree strongly

Agree

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 13

54%

25%

50%

32%

Agree

Neither nor

Disagree

Disagree strongly

Don't know

N=445 (Participants of final

survey excl. control group)

N=665 (Participants of final

survey incl. control group)

Households with the display information reduced their shower consumption by 23%.

� Households with the display decreased their water and

energy consumption by 23% relative to the control group

– Time: -22%

– Breaks: +12%

– Temperature: -0.25°C

– Flow rate: no significant change

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 14

– Flow rate: no significant change

� Per-shower reduction

– 10.6 liters

– 360 Wh (η=100%) → 550 Wh (η=65%)

� Effects stable throughout the study (long-term study still

ongoing)

The per-household energy reduction exceeds the impact of electricity smart meters by far (and at a much lower price point).

� Deployment in 5% of Swiss households = equivalent of

electricity production by Swiss wind power in 2012

� ROI much higher than for electricity smart meters

ReductionElectricity smart

meters1

Smart shower

meters

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 15

Energy – relative consumption change

3.2% of household electricity

23% of shower energy

Energy – absolute change 86 kWh 443 kWh

Water (liters/yr) / 8500

Cost savings (CHF/yr) 15 96

1source: ewz-Studie Smart Metering,

www.stadt-zuerich.ch/content/dam/stzh/ewz/Deutsch/Netz/Publikationen und Broschueren/Praesentation_ewz_sm.pdf

� Reduction per household per year:

– 23% reduction of energy and water use in the shower

– Water: 8500 liters

– 443 kWh

– CHF 96

Summary of key reduction figures - thank you for listening.

© ETH / HSG

B2E Lab

October 2013

Slide 16

Thank you very much for your attention.

ContactVerena Tiefenbeck │ Bits to Energy Lab │ Chair for Information ManagementDepartment Management, Technology and Economics│ ETH ZurichOffice: + 41 44 632 3953│ Email: vtiefenbeck@ethz.ch