Mapping Energy Frames: an Innovative Approach Engaging with New Forms and Types of ‘data’ in Social Media Analysis to Frame Energy Demand

Abstract

Understanding how individuals consume energy is considered to be a fundamental step in improving energy conservation and stimulating energy efficiency. Multiple studies have shown how feedback loops encourage en-
ergy conservation and efficiency among policy makers and citizens. Fischer (2008), for instance, explores the ways in which a sense of competition, social comparison, and peer pressure impels people to adopt better energy consuming behavior. The online platform ‘Social Electricity’ allows citizens to compare
energy footprints with friends, neighbors, or other users. This process, Kamilaris, Pitsillides, and Fidas (2016) argue, affects people’s energy awareness, making them more sensitive to the environment and motivating them to behave more sustainably.
Many other energy-saving applications have been developed
(Albertarelli et al., 2018), which exploit gamification and social
interaction to promote energy-efficient lifestyles.