Towards Designing Smart Home Energy Applications for Effective Use

Abstract

To reduce climate change, considerable behavioral changes are required from private households, who often have a low energy literacy and are therefore unaware of the necessary behavioral change. We introduce a Design Science Research project with the aim to increase energy literacy. To this end, we contribute a theory-grounded design theory for a Smart Home Energy Application based on effective use. In comparison to previous approaches for designing Smart Home Energy Applications, the design process is user-centered. We combine semi-structured interviews with a structured survey and a literature review to derive meta requirements and deduct preliminary design principles mapping them to a prototype. The intermediate results of this study inform research and practice by providing valuable insights on how users interact with a Smart Home Energy Application. The design principles enable the design of information systems allowing for effective use and contribute to a more sustainable energy behavior of households.