The paper examines the extent to which facility managers are lead users and innovation driversfor improvements to buildings’ energy efficiency. Eric von Hippel’s lead user theory is used to apply establishedcriteria, as there is a general need to study how buildings are used and operated in order to maximize their fullpotential for energy saving. The study indicates that facility managers can be considered as the link betweenenergy-efficient buildings and their energy-efficient management and use, and can contribute to improvementsin energy efficiency. However, lead user theory does not yet meet all the requirements of service innovation.The paper shows how the three main lead user roles can be applied to the different facilities management (FM)roles of in-house and external FM service providers. Non-residential buildings such as public and private officebuildings and hospitals are discussed as having the highest potential for energy saving.
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