Making people aware of energy consumption at IDE

Abstract

Energy waste is an issue of considerable size. Not only at home, but more increasingly so in public spaces. The TU Delft has set itself a number of sizeable energy saving goals for the near future, but with current initiatives focusing mostly on efficiency and responsible sourcing, not much is being done about altering the demand for energy. In this thesis I set out to design a solution that targets the energy problem from a behavior change perspective. The project brief of this graduation thesis comes forth from a design challenge formulated by Gert Jan de Werk for students participating in the D-exto summer programme. The assignment was to create an iconic, TU Delft relevant installation that could show occupants of a building the current state of energy use in a supply and demand form. The goal of this installation is to create an awareness of the amount of energy that is being used and the portion that is used efficiently. The ICON, as it was called was meant to communicate the goals of the TU Delft with respect to sustainability and energy use while simultaneously showcasing the state of the art in technology. The project was picked up as a part of Jantien Doolaard’s (former IDE student) work on improving energy behavior at IDE. In collaboration with a group of students from the “Sustainable Innovation in Practice” course at TPM (faculty of Technology, Policy and Management), first steps were made towards realizing this “energy icon”. After completion, a demand remained for the further development of the installation. In my research I explore how tangible and non tangible interactions with an installation can be used to alter people’s energy saving behavior. Contextual research provided by Doolaard provides a solid base for a complete redesign of the ICON using social and persuasive design methods.