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Energy behaviors at the office: An intervention study on the use of equipment

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  • Nilsson, Andreas
  • Andersson, Kristin
  • Bergstad, Cecilia Jakobsson

Abstract

The study tests two behavioral intervention programs that were aimed at changing energy-related behaviors in an office setting. Participants were 93 office employees in three different departments of a construction company. Each department was randomly assigned to a four-week intervention to one of the following three conditions: control, intervention program or intervention program with group identity salience. The first intervention condition consisted of goal-setting, feedback, information and prompts. The second condition was identical to the first, with an additional group-identity manipulation. Three different types of data were collected: consumption of electricity and paper, pre-and post-questionnaires and weekly observations. The results show that the employees in the two experimental conditions perceived themselves to have changed their behaviors more than the control group. This is supported by the observational data for the intervention program, but could not be shown in the measures of energy consumption, which showed a decrease for all three departments. The implications of these results are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Nilsson, Andreas & Andersson, Kristin & Bergstad, Cecilia Jakobsson, 2015. "Energy behaviors at the office: An intervention study on the use of equipment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 434-441.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:146:y:2015:i:c:p:434-441
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.02.045
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ellen Matthies & Ingo Kastner & Andreas Klesse & Hermann-Josef Wagner, 2011. "High reduction potentials for energy user behavior in public buildings: how much can psychology-based interventions achieve?," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 1(3), pages 241-255, September.
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    3. Gulbinas, R. & Jain, R.K. & Taylor, J.E., 2014. "BizWatts: A modular socio-technical energy management system for empowering commercial building occupants to conserve energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 1076-1084.
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    2. Shen, Meng & Lu, Yujie & Wei, Kua Harn & Cui, Qingbin, 2020. "Prediction of household electricity consumption and effectiveness of concerted intervention strategies based on occupant behaviour and personality traits," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    3. Craig, Christopher A., 2016. "Energy consumption, energy efficiency, and consumer perceptions: A case study for the Southeast United States," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 660-669.
    4. Schall, Dominik L. & Mohnen, Alwine, 2017. "Incentivizing energy-efficient behavior at work: An empirical investigation using a natural field experiment on eco-driving," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P2), pages 1757-1768.
    5. Mi, Lingyun & Gan, Xiaoli & Sun, Yuhuan & Lv, Tao & Qiao, Lijie & Xu, Ting, 2021. "Effects of monetary and nonmonetary interventions on energy conservation: A meta-analysis of experimental studies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    6. Anderson, Kyle & Song, Kwonsik & Lee, SangHyun & Krupka, Erin & Lee, Hyunsoo & Park, Moonseo, 2017. "Longitudinal analysis of normative energy use feedback on dormitory occupants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 623-639.
    7. Akvile Cibinskiene & Daiva Dumciuviene & Meda Andrijauskiene, 2020. "Energy Consumption in Public Buildings: The Determinants of Occupants’ Behavior," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-23, July.
    8. Gabriela Michalek & Ines Thronicker & Özgür Yildiz & Reimund Schwarze, 2019. "Habitually green: integrating the concept of habit into the design of pro-environmental interventions at the workplace [Gewohnheitsmäßig grün: Integration des Konzepts der Gewohnheit in die Gestalt," NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum | Sustainability Management Forum, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 113-124, June.

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