Incorporating intelligent product design and the internet of everything.
“The two greatest challenges we face are overcoming poverty and managing climate change, if we fail on one, we will fail on the other.”1
It is estimated that by 2035 global energy demand will increase by 33% from 13,000 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) to 17,000 Mtoe per annum.2 According to Tang et al. 2012, meeting the increasing energy demand with fossil fuels is unsustainable in the face of the increasing global significance placed upon the mitigation of anthropogenic emissions.3 Although it has been noted that making the transition to a low-carbon world will require alternative energy technologies such as wind and solar PV, certain renewable energy projects remain capital intensive in the short-term and the long payback period deters investment.4
Energy efficiency and conservation measures present low-cost opportunities for reducing energy consumption, enhancing energy security, and abating anthropogenic emissions.5 While energy efficiency and energy conservation differ, an attempt to achieve one without the other can be counter-productive. Energy efficiency is said to be achieved when certain levels of energy services are derived from less energy, whereas energy conservation deals with the use of less energy services.6 While it is common to associate efficiency to electricity generation and transmission, and conservation to energy demand/consumption, both concepts are complementarily necessary on both the supply and demand sides, with efficiency potentially leading to conservation depending on factors such as demand management and end-user behaviour.
With the average efficiency of power plants (with the exception of nuclear and certain renewable energy technologies e.g. hydropower) still approximately 30%, achieving efficiency and conservation on the demand side becomes even more imperative for emissions reduction. Demand-side efficiency is technology-driven and concerned in part with energy-efficient devices/appliances. Although the use of these appliances can make vital contributions to conservation, the efficiency gains are swiftly diminished in the face of wasteful energy consumption.
Certain measures are in place for achieving conservation and demand-side emissions reduction. Peak time electricity pricing and load management reduce the urgent need to increase electricity generation/supply.7 However, these measures are reactionary.
According to Costanzo et al. 1986, achieving energy conservation is partly technical and partly human.8 While efforts are on-going towards the development of energy-saving technologies, these may not yield the desired outcomes if not complemented by voluntary behaviour change — the human aspect of conservation — which according to Gardener and Stern 1996, comprises efficiency behaviours and curtailment behaviours.9
Efficiency behaviours concern one-off energy conservation decisions such as the purchase of energy-efficient appliances; and curtailment behaviours pertain to efforts repeated over time to reduce energy consumption, which may include the adjustment of thermostat settings10 or boiling the required amount of water for one cup of tea.
Although curtailment behaviours are well-intended, they can break down over time, leading to a return to wasteful energy use, in turn impacting the gains from efficiency behaviours. The breakdown of curtailment behaviours may be attributed to certain factors, including access to information/feedback, convenience, and motivation.11 In light of these impediments, curtailment behaviours remain vital drivers of conservation, which if augmented could result in emissions reduction.
The ubiquity of technology and the embedding of smart devices in everyday life present ample opportunities for augmenting curtailment behaviours. Such augmentation is now evident in certain products, including the Nest Learning Thermostat [an internet of things (IoT)12 enabled HVAC component, equipped with computational algorithm, capable of human interaction and interaction with other Nest devices].13
Designing products to be more intelligent may help alleviate the breakdown of curtailment behaviours and reduce consumption by consistently engaging the individual with energy conservation through reminders, integrated digital interactivity, and autonomous interventions. This may in turn bridge the gap between intention and action.
Connecting intelligent products, devices or appliances to the internet introduces flexibility and convenience — two incentives necessary for the sustenance of human engagement with conservation. It opens up a world where consumers are able to monitor, track, control, and manage energy usage from anywhere and at any time, alleviating the tyranny imposed by distance. Flexibility is amplified by the interoperability of things — the internet of everything.14 The ability of products to “intelligently self-identify” and seamlessly communicate with one another facilitates data exchange;15 enabling consumers to make informed decisions pertinent to energy usage and energy conservation.
Continuous engagement could lead to repeated curtailment behaviours, which may become second nature over time. This may, in the long-run, consolidate the gains from efficiency behaviours, leading to emissions-reducing use of energy services.
Footnotes
1 Stern, N. 2009, “Managing climate change and overcoming poverty: facing the realities and building a global agreement”, Lecture Columbia University, New York, vol. 21, pp. 1–26, at 2.
2 International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2012, Paris, at 52.
3 Tang, A., Chiara, N. & Taylor, J.E. 2012, “Financing renewable energy infrastructure: formulation, pricing and impact of a carbon revenue bond”, Energy Policy, vol. 45, no. 0, pp. 691–703, at 691.
4 Ibid.
5 Gillingham, K., Newell, R.G. & Palmer, K. 2009, “Energy efficiency economics and policy”, National Bureau of Economic Research, at 1.
6 Ibid.
7 Morey, J. 2006, “Clean Power in Costa Rica: opportunities and barriers”, Strategies, at 3.
8 Costanzo, M., Archer, D., Aronson, E. & Pettigrew, T. 1986, “Energy conservation behaviour: the difficult path from information to action.”, American psychologist, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 521–528, at 521.
9 Gardner, G.T. & Stern, P.C. 1996, Environmental problems and human behavior. Allyn & Bacon. See also, Abrahamse, W., Steg, L., Vlek, C. & Rothengatter, T. 2005, “A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation”, Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 273–291, at 274.
10 Abrahamse, W., Steg, L., Vlek, C. & Rothengatter, T. 2005, “A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation”, Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 273–291, at 274.
11 Steg, L. 2008, “Promoting household energy conservation”, Energy Policy, vol. 36, no. 12, pp. 4449–4453.
12 According to Swanson and Sokolov 2014, the Internet of things “is an interconnected set of devices, sensors and objects that merge the physical with the digital world.”
13 Nest Labs 2015, 2015-last update, Nest Thermostat [Homepage of Nest Labs], [Online]. Available: https://nest.com/thermostat/meet-nest-thermostat/ [2015, 3 September].
14 The Internet of Everything is said to be realised when each node within a network of things (sensors) understands a common language, allowing the system to function seamlessly or without restricted access. See Swanson and Sokolov 2014, at 4.
15 Swanson, C., & Sokolov, R. 2014, Internet of Things: move past the rhetoric and focus on success, Booz Allen Hamilton, Virginia, United States.
References
Abrahamse, W., Steg, L., Vlek, C. & Rothengatter, T. 2005, “A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation”, Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 273–291.
Biesiot, W. & Noorman, K.J. 1999, “Energy requirements of household consumption: a case study of The Netherlands”, Ecological Economics, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 367–383.
Costanzo, M., Archer, D., Aronson, E. & Pettigrew, T. 1986, “Energy conservation behavior: the difficult path from information to action.”, American psychologist, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 521.
Gardner, G.T. & Stern, P.C. 1996, Environmental problems and human behavior. Allyn & Bacon.
Gillingham, K., Newell, R.G. & Palmer, K. 2009, Energy efficiency economics and policy.
International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2012, Paris.
Morey, J. 2006, “Clean Power in Costa Rica: opportunities and barriers”, Strategies.
Nest Labs 2015, 2015-last update, Nest Thermostat [Homepage of Nest Labs], [Online]. Available: https://nest.com/thermostat/meet-nest-thermostat/ [2015, 3 September].
Stern, N. 2009, “Managing climate change and overcoming poverty: facing the realities and building a global agreement”, Lecture Columbia University, New York, vol. 21.
Swanson, C., & Sokolov, R. 2014, Internet of Things: move past the rhetoric and focus on success, Booz Allen Hamilton, Virginia, United States.
Tang, A., Chiara, N. & Taylor, J.E. 2012, “Financing renewable energy infrastructure: formulation, pricing and impact of a carbon revenue bond”, Energy Policy, vol. 45, no. 0, pp. 691–703.
