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This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of people's everyday interactions with energy-consuming products and systems in the home. Initial results from a large online survey are also considered. This research focuses not only on "conservation behavior" but importantly investigates interactions with technology that may be characterized as "normal consumption" or "over-consumption." A novel vocabulary for analyzing and designing energy-conserving interactions is proposed based on our findings, including: cutting, trimming, switching, upgrading, and shifting. Using the proposed vocabulary, and informed by theoretical developments from various literatures, this paper demonstrates ways in which everyday interactions with technology in the home are performed without conscious consideration of energy consumption but rather are unconscious, habitual, and irrational. Implications for the design of energy-conserving interactions with technology and broader challenges for HCI research are proposed.
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Home, Habits, and EnergyExamining domestic interactions and
energy consumption
James Pierce | HCII, CMU; CSL, PARC
Diane Schiano | Yahoo!; CSL, PARC
Eric Paulos | HCII, CMU
Living Environments Lab
i
What are the relationships among: everyday technologies, interactions, and energy consumption?
-and-
What are and how can we design “sustainable interactions” in the home?
We study “normal”, mundane interactions in the home.(rather than assuming people engage in “energy conservation”).
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We find that habitual routines dominate. People are resistant to consciously altering routines.
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We study “normal”, mundane interactions in the home.(rather than assuming people engage in “energy conservation”).
1
Appliances and devices structure interactions and practices.“Inform & motivate” approaches are limited, if not misguided.
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We find that habitual routines dominate. People are resistant to consciously altering routines.
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We study “normal”, mundane interactions in the home.(rather than assuming people engage in “energy conservation”).
Overview
Background / prior work
Study and methods
Findings
Framework for designing energy-conserving interactions
Design strategies
Broader considerations
Background & Prior Work
+ Ai He, H., Greenberg, S., & Huang, E. One Size Does Not Fit All: Applying the Transtheoretical Model to Energy
Feedback Technology Design. CH1 ‘10.
+ Chetty, M., Tran, D., & Grinter, R. Getting to green: understanding resource consumption in the home. Ubicomp ’08.
+ Chetty, M., Brush, A.J., Meyers, B., & Johns, P. It’s not easy being green: Understanding home computer power
management. CHI ’09.
+ Dillahunt, T., Mankoff, J., Paulos, E., & Fussell, S. It’s not all about green: energy use in low-income communities.
UbiComp’09.
+ Froehlich, J., Findlater, L., Landay, J. The Design of Eco-Feedback Technology. CHI ‘10.
+ Pierce, J., Odom, W., & Blevis, E. Energy aware dwelling: A critical survey of interaction design for eco-
visualizations. OZCHI ’08.
+ Strengers, Y. Smart metering demand management programs: challenging the comfort and cleanliness habitus of
households. OZCHI ’08.
+ Woodruff, A., Hasbrouck, J., & Augustin, S. A bright green perspective on sustainable choices. CHI ‘08.
+ Yann, R., Dodge, J., & Metoyer, R. Studying Always-On Electricity Feedback in the Home. CHI ‘10.
Background & Prior Work | Energy consumption research within HCI
`
Strongly informed by 3 areas of research
+ Sociology (of consumption)
+ Philosophy of technology
+ Social psychology
Background & Prior Work | Research outside of HCI
Study & Methods
+ 15 participants; 12 households (e.g., single-family; in-law; studio)
+ recruited via craigslist and personal acquaintances (CA, IL, IN)
Study & Methods | Home study overview
Initial home visit
[ appliance walk-thru ] [ price info + logs ]
Final home visit
[ card-sort ] [ energy bill review]
Study & Methods | Home study
[ appliance walk-thru ]
[ card-sort ] [ energy bill review]
Study & Methods | Home study
Initial home visit
Final home visit
[ price info + logs ]
[ appliance walk-thru ]
Study & Methods | Home study
Initial home visit
We were studying “appliance use” not “energy conservation”
Final home visit
[ card-sort ] [ energy bill review]
[ price info + logs ]
Findings
Findings | Lack of interest in energy costs
>>participants were uninterested in and unmotivated by the energy info we
provided
Findings | Energy Indifference
“I didn’t pay much attention to the prices, because I have to pay them
anyway. ... I have to use them anyway ... to keep my life to a certain level
of convenience.” (P7)
“I know I’m not gonna change anyway, so I don’t really wanna know.” (P13)
Findings | Lack of interest in energy costs
>>low-cost can be a disincentive for conservation
Findings | (Perceived) Low cost as disincentive
“Oh, good, it only costs a few cents to use my computer, so I don’t have to
worry about that.” (P1)
Findings | Unconsidered Options
>>participants had not considered many ways of “conserving” electricity
+ clothes washer and dryer (e.g., reducing temperature)
+ dishwasher(e.g., using air dry setting)
+ hot water (e.g., lower setting when away)
+ refrigerator/freezer (e.g., reducing temperature setting)
+ cooking appliances (e.g., using toaster oven instead of oven)
+ computers, televisions and other electronics (e.g., completely powering off)
Findings | Unconsidered Options
Findings | Lack of interest in energy costs
>>changing habits (how we cook, clean, entertain, etc.) is difficult, even if
those habits are expensive
Findings | Failed conservation attempts
“After I found out my bill doubled, I try to use the heater less. But then
I couldn’t stand the cold. And then I was using the space heater for
long hours again. ...sometimes I’m too lazy to put on a jacket. And it’s
just easier to turn on a switch then go in the room, open the closet,
and put on a jacket.”
Findings | “Unmotivated” habitual conservation
>>motivation is not a necessary condition for conservation
“We make enough money that we don’t need to worry about
conserving energy.” (~$400 energy bills; 3-person family)
“We’re constantly turning lights on and off ... Because we think it saves
energy.” (P9)
>>available interface options help structure “normal” and “abnormal”
interactions and practices
Findings | The structuring of interfaces
“I guess, if they started making washing machines with only that option,
because everything was alright with cold, then I’d wash on cold… They
must include those there for a reason… They *must* be giving you these
options for a reason. Now, I suppose if I bought a washing that only had a
cold cycle on it, then that’s what I’d do.” (P14)
Findings | Inflexibility
>>changing individual attitudes regarding consumption is no simple matter
Findings | Inflexibility
“I need them [various appliances and devices]. And I desperately
need them throughout the day for entertainment and for food and
for keeping cool and stuff. And so they’re not that flexible. I need
‘em. I need ‘em to be on. I want ‘em to be on all day. And I need
‘em when I need ‘em.” (P8)
1. Everyday consumption is often not guided by conscious, rationally motivated thought.
2. Direct and explicit motivation may be extremely limited in altering routine practices.
3. Our (designed) material environments, including devices and appliances, give structure to everyday practices and energy consumption.
Findings | Summary
What types of “energy-conserving” interactions can we design for?
A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
A set of terms describing types of energy-conserving
interactions to design for
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting
+ Trimming
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting
+ Trimming
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
May seem obvious, yet they are rarely designed for explicitly.
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
OFF
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
OFF
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
ON
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading
+ Shifting
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting | shifting use to a different time or place
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting | shifting use to a different time or place
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
12 123
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891010
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+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting | shifting use to a different time or place
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
12 123
4567
891010
11
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting | shifting use to a different time or place
Findings | A Vocabulary of Energy-Conserving Interactions
+ Cutting | powering off or putting in an extremely low-power state
+ Trimming | using a “lower” setting
+ Switching | using a more energy-efficient alternative product
+ Upgrading | acquiring a more energy-efficient replacement product
+ Shifting | shifting use to a different time or place
Findings | A Framework for Designing Energy-Conserving Interactions
Design strategies
Scripts: implicit user’s manual. Imperatives “uttered (silently and continuously) by...mechanisms”
(Latour, 2000, p. 157; citing Akrich, 1992)
Design strategies | Material scripts
Akrich, M. (1992). The de-scription of technical objects, in Bijker,WE. & Law, J. (Eds), Shaping Technology/Building Society. MIT Press.
Latour, B. (2000). Where are the missing masses? The sociology of a few mundane artefacts. In Bijker, W. E. & Law J. (Eds), Shaping Technology/Building Society: Studies in Sociotechnical Change. MIT Press.
Fridge door scripted for trimming.
Design strategies | Material scripts
Close me! Don’t let the cold out!
Design strategies | Material scripts
Wireless router not scripted for cutting.
Design strategies | Material scripts
It’s okay to leave me plugged in. Routinely unplugging me is deviant !!!
Design strategies | Material scripts
Instead of trying to convince people to use less energy, we can “script” things for energy-conserving interactions.
(cutting, trimming, switching, upgrading, shifting)
Design strategies | Material scripts
vv
Design strategies
+ Relabeling “normal”
+ Foregrounding efficiency options
+ Defaulting
+ 1-click cutting
vv
Design strategies: Relabeling “normal”
NormalEnergyEfficientMode
(e.g., trimming dishwasher by using air dry)
vv
Normal
Normal
EnergyEfficientMode
Design strategies: Relabeling “normal”
vv
Normal
Normal
EnergyEfficientMode
HighEnergyMode
Design strategies: Relabeling “normal”
vv
NormalHigh
EnergyMode
Design strategies: Relabeling “normal”
vv
High Low
Design strategies: Relabeling “normal”
Low
High
Design strategies: Relabeling “normal”
Normal VacationMode
(e.g., cutting or trimming hot water heater)
Design strategies: Foregrounding efficiency options
Cold
Start
Design strategies: Defaulting
Warm Hot
(e.g., trimming automatic clothes washer)
ON / OFF
Design strategies: 1-click cutting
(e.g., cutting televisions, PCs, entire homes)
Broader Considerations
“Energy-conserving” does not imply “sustainable”
“The replacement of one technology with a more efficient one may reduce the energy input but not the total amount of energy demanded…
...behaviour and household technology are mutually implicated in the demand for [energy].” (Wilhite, 2007 p. 29)
Wilhite, H. (2007). “Will efficient technologies save the world ? A call for new thinking on the ways that end-use technologies affect energy using practices.” In Proc. ECEEE 2007 Summer Study.
How is an energy monitor implicated in the demand for energy?
A “sustainable” energy monitoring system for the automatic clothes dryer implies a strong demand for the automatic clothes dryer.
50 watts
`
A “sustainable” energy monitoring system for the automatic clothes dryer helps negates its being displaced by the clothesline.
50 watts
ON
A “sustainable” power sensing infrastructure helps sustain the status quo (ever-increasing) demand for energy.
0.4537 kW
Are hi-tech (digital, interactive) solutions always most appropriate(or even counterproductive)?
Instead of “energy conservation”...
“minimum feasible power” (Illich, 1974) as a design principle.
Illich, I. (1974). Energy and Equity. Marion Boyars.
relinquishing - permanently powering off a device
elimination - designing something out of existence (Fry, 2009)
Fry, T. (2009). Design futuring. Berg.
ON
Instead of assuming the “smart energy home” will have many energy-consuming devices...
ON
How might we design to displace unsustainable objects, interactions and practices?
How might we radically re-design “home” as sustainable?
