occupant engagement and energy awareness in buildings

Occupant Engagement in Commercial

Buildings

Tom Owen, Pulse Energy

Presentation Overview

• Research Background: Goals and Methodology

• EMPR/Jack Davis Building Case Study

• Findings

• Future Research

Research Background - Goals

Key Goals:

• Understand efficacy of occupant engagement using

CBSM approach in C&I setting

• Learning on the road towards best practice

• Identify role and value add of EIS

Theoretical Framework

Community Based Social Marketing (McKenzie-Mohr, 2009):

– Commitment (and consistency)

– Prompts

– Norms

– Communication

– Incentives

Energy information systems and feedback

More Behavioural Considerations

Broader Principals:

– Norms

– Feedback

– Public Commitment

– Discounting the future

– Status Quo Bias

– Single Action Bias

– Self Efficacy

– Loss Aversion

– Reciprocity and Reciprocal Concessions

Jack Davis Case Study: Background

• 146,000 ft2 office building in Victoria

• Carbon neutrality in 2010 and 20% electricity reduction

in 2020

• Lighting retrofit pilot project in 2008 (light switches &

dimmable ballasts)

• Energy Manager – funded by BC Hydro

• Detailed energy monitoring and Pulse Energy EIS

Jack Davis Building

Employee Engagement to Build a Culture

of Conservation

• Senior Executive Leadership

• Formation of “Green Team”

• Contest to identify actions

• Green pledges (commitment)

• Workstation tune-ups

• Balanced Scorecard strategic priority and indicators

Jack Davis Case Study:

Lighting Campaign

• One week campaign focusing on employee actions to

reduce lighting

– Simple actions (e.g., switch off at lunch)

– Specific, targeted prompts

– Embedded EIS “Dashboard” on intranet

– Communicated results

– Posters in high traffic areas

– Supported champions

Jack Davis Case Study: Results

Jack Davis Case Study: Results

Key Factors:

• Level of individual influence

• Identifiable and cohesive group

• Prompting and feedback

Jack Davis Case Study: Results

Jack Davis Case Study: Results

Jack Davis Case Study: Results

[Examples and Prompting]

Key Findings

• CBSM is effective given the right organizational

environment

• Prompting & Feedback can be a powerful tool

• Pulse EIS was a key enabler of program success

Gaps and Barriers: Future Research

• Achieving persistence and setting norms

• Leveraging targets, commitment and rewards

• Visual presentation of impact - $ and Tonnes

• Organisational ROI – Time and cost investment

• Building a replicable model

Q & A

Q & A

Q & A

Q & A

Q & A

Q & A

www.checkyourbuildingspulse.com

Q & A

Jack Davis Case Study: Results

Q & A

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