[LUM#19] Game-changing data

[LUM Magazine, Podcast] - Published on July 13, 2023 in Science and Society

While the term "sobriety" is on everyone's lips, researchers from the HUT– Human at Home – are focusing on providing users with better insights into their consumption data to foster more sustainable behaviors over the long term. Following an initial phase conducted in a pilot apartment, a second phase is being prepared on a community-wide scale.

Driven by both environmental awareness and economic necessity, more and more consumers are turning to energy-monitoring apps. “Often managed by energy providers, utility bills don’t always provide a clear picture of one’s energy usage or help foster more sustainable habits over time,” explains Anne-Sophie Cases, a marketing researcher at Montpellier Research in Management* and coordinator of the Human at Home (HUT) project.

Developing a model together

For four years, a multidisciplinary team of researchers analyzed data collected in a research apartment equipped with numerous sensors and inhabited by a pair of students known as “cohuters” (HUT: Toward a Human and Smart Living Environment). “Our initial goal was to co-develop with them a feedback model that would allow them to measure the gap between their perception and their actual consumption,” the researcher continues. To achieve this goal, the researchers and cohuters opted for a monthly newsletter designed to look like a floor plan of the apartment, with consumption figures listed by room. “The idea was to provide a highly visual format while avoiding graphs or diagrams, which ultimately have little impact on changing behavior.”

Another request from the project participants: to be able to contextualize their consumption not only over time but also within a social norm by providing points of comparison. “ Sending data just for the sake of data is pointless! It needs to be explained, ” says the HUT project coordinator . “The residents were waiting for us to tell them whether their consumption was higher than average, or if they had made progress compared to the previous month—using emojis or smileys, for example.”

Collective anchoring

HUT will soon enter the second phase of the project. This time, the focus will shift from connected “observatory apartments” to training a cohort of student volunteers to participate in research programs. This approach would be a first in France. “We’re going to assemble this community of testers, which could include around fifty students, and we’re also planning to work with the Crous,” explains Anne-Sophie Cases.

An opportunity to explore collective energy management strategies to anticipate potential load-shedding measures, which Enedis has been mentioning with increasing frequency. “Our hypothesis is that by informing users that a peak is coming, some will collectively agree to unplug their devices because they can, to avoid the unpredictable power cuts imposed on everyone,” explains the researcher. This collective dimension can help embed these virtuous behaviors over the long term. “Individual actions are important but discouraging, whereas collective action engages, provides structure, and yields visible results. It’s a fact: the energy issue is a collective challenge, ” concludes Anne-Sophie Cases.

* MRM (UM, UPVD)

Keywords: Ecology, Economy, Energy, Environment, LUM#19, LumLu, LUM Magazine, HUT Project, Research, Company