Longitudinal assessment of the behavior-changing effect of app-based eco-feedback in residential buildings

摘要

Eco-feedback as an approach to intervene in energy consumption behavior and encourage energy conservation has achieved considerable success in recent decades. Conclusions about the performance of eco-feedback systems in the literature were mostly drawn based on their short-term performance, during which eco-feedback information was continuously provided. This study, by gradually removing eco-feedback system functions in different phases of an experiment, examines the durability of the behavior-changing effect of eco-feedback under different conditions. The eco-feedback information is delivered using mobile app, which provides a higher level of accessibility than other eco-feedback technologies. A prototype app-based eco-feedback system was developed in this study, and used in an experiment that was carried out in student dormitories. The experiment lasted for fifty-three weeks, and it included four phases, during which the level of functionality of the eco-feedback system varied. The experiment results demonstrated the effectiveness of using mobile app for delivering eco-feedback information. Longitudinal analysis of the results found that the behavior-changing effect of eco-feedback changed over time. The effect was significantly positive in the short term, then became slightly positive in the medium term, and further faded to an insignificant level in the long term. Moreover, analysis of individual participants' energy consumption profiles revealed that their behavior changes were highly sensitive and responsive to whether and how eco-feedback information was delivered. This study advances the knowledge about app-based eco-feedback and its effect in reshaping the energy consumption behaviors of occupants in dormitory buildings over time. Future research can be done to further validate the generalizability of the findings to other types of residential buildings or eco-feedback systems using different technologies, so as to provide important implication and guidance for implementing eco-feedback in practice. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.