Findings from the DUALL Project: lessons in engaging building users in energy reduction in a UK University

Abstract

DUALL (an acronym for ‘Deliberative User Approach to theLiving Lab’), funded by JISC’s Greening ICT programme1 inthe UK, is a 12-month project developing a socio-technical,deliberative approach enabling users of a large-scale, publicsectorbuilding to understand the potential for ICT to reduceenergy consumption. There is an increasing trend towards‘smart’ meters and display tools showing people (mainly domesticusers) their real-time energy consumption. This is predicatedon the assumption that this information will affect theirbehaviour. Yet, it is widely accepted that information provisionalone is inadequate for affecting long-term behaviour changeand rarely manifests itself in measurable behaviour change andsocial learning. Academics have identified the need for a differentapproach recognising the complexity of user perceptionsand understandings; the importance of combining a bottom-upand top-down approach in order to minimise mixed messages;and the value of public engagement.DUALL has employed these principles of public engagementto the design of a feedback tool for building-users in a workplacecontext. This paper shows the difficulties in attempting1. ‘JISC’ (the acronym once stood for ‘Joint Information Systems Committee’, it isnow their name) JISC inspires UK colleges and universities in the innovative useof digital technologies, helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader ineducation. Further information about their Greening ICT programme can be foundhere: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/greeningict.aspxworkplace ‘user-engagement’ in ICT-based energy reductioninitiatives, reflects on the complexities of workplace energyreduction and presents empirical findings on the potential forachieving significant reductions in energy consumption in theworkplace through