Harnessing Observability to Reduce Wasted AC / Heat via Open Windows by Dave Rand’s ACT
Pitch
Reduce energy use in offices with AC/Heat by publicly identifying those who leave window open. #observability @yaleact
Description
Summary
A growing chorus points to behavior as the lowest hanging fruit for energy conservation and emissions abatement (see, for example, Dietz et al. 2009), and perhaps the single lowest hanging fruit is leaving windows open when the air conditioning or heat is running. To fix this, we turn to a proven method from the social sciences, increasing observability, which has been shown to dramatically increase contributions to public goods in a large number of domains (for a review, see Kraft-Todd et al. 2015), including energy (Yoeli et al. 2013). Our fix: identify offices where occupants frequently leave windows open, and publicly name them on a tablet in the building lobby. From a technological standpoint, our proposal simply requires developing a system which monitors whether windows are open. In buildings with individual HVACs, we would also need a system that monitors the energy consumption by each HVAC. There are now off-the-shelf solutions for both systems, and cost of the sensors is minimal, at just a few dollars a piece. At the same time, our solution is expected to have a big impact: increased observability has, time and again, been shown to yield dramatic changes in behavior, even when financial incentives have little to no effect.
What actions do you propose?
To implement the proposal:
1) Building managers must agree to (a) install systems that monitor whether windows are open, (b) in buildings with individual HVACs, to monitor the individual HVACs, and (c) to place a tablet in a public space such as the lobby.
2) The above systems must be developed and integrated. They must (a) identify which windows are being left open, and (b) in buildings with individual HVACs, to identify whether this is done when the HVAC is operating.
3) The tablet interface must be designed to identify occupants who leave the window open
Who will take these actions?
An off-the-shelf system could be created in collaboration with an existing energy startup (e.g., Enertiv, Automation) or by a new startup.
Where will these actions be taken?
Anywhere. The US would be a great place to start.
How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?
With HVACs comprising over 40% of energy consumption, even a moderate change in behavior can have a huge influence on emissions. And, this behavior change leads much more substantial energy savings than, say, turning off lights: A typical window left open overnight in winter will use enough energy to drive a small car over 35 miles!
What are other key benefits?
Buildings that reduce consumption energy also save on their energy bill. And, occupants would have a bigger incentive to ask management to fix HVAC issues that lead to discomfort, leading to more efficient buildings.
What are the proposal’s costs?
The development costs of the technology should be minimal (we estimate them to be less than 50,000USD based on discussions with a hardware and software developer). A bigger challenge is getting building managers on board. We propose to start by partnering with a university (MIT would be a great fit!).
Time line
Based on our discussions with the developer, a pilot could be launched within six months. A commercial product would take longer--on the order of two years.
Related proposals
n/a
References
Dietz, Thomas, Gerald T. Gardner, Jonathan Gilligan, Paul C. Stern, and Michael P. Vandenbergh. "Household actions can provide a behavioral wedge to rapidly reduce US carbon emissions." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106, no. 44 (2009): 18452-18456.
Kraft-Todd, Gordon, Erez Yoeli, Syon Bhanot, and David Rand. "Promoting cooperation in the field." Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 3 (2015): 96-101.
Yoeli, Erez, Moshe Hoffman, David G. Rand, and Martin A. Nowak. "Powering up with indirect reciprocity in a large-scale field experiment." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110, no. Supplement 2 (2013): 10424-10429.
By:
Dave Rand’s ACT
