Students motivated to reduce their energy use

Senior Lecturer in Psychology Dr Tim Hopthrow collaborated on the research with Dr Jim Ang of the University’s School of Engineering and Digital Arts alongside colleagues Professor Yong Yan and PhD Researcher Anthony Emeakaroha.

The research found that when students can see the amount of energy they are using in real-time and are motivated by their peers to save energy then consumption will reduce.

The combination of a real-time feedback system together with a human energy delegate in eight halls of residence resulted in a reduction of 37% in energy consumption when compared to normal consumption. The savings were 1360.49 kWh, which is equivalent to a reduction of 713.71 kg of CO2 over four weeks.

Students’ energy-use behaviour is complex as they cannot easily identify how much electricity their appliances consume and don’t have to pay for their own energy use. The research showed that energy consumption could reduce significantly if residential halls used the Persuasive Technology and Energy Delegate (IPTED) method, developed by the research team.

For more information, see the full press release.