A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Promoting behavioural change to reduce thermal energy demand in households:A review
A reduction in thermal energy consumption in buildings is vital for achieving the reductions in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions that are part of EU-2050 targets. A key challenge faced by behavioural scientists is to understand what encourages people to adopt more efficient ways of achieving a satisfactory thermal experience. We review the psychological barriers to reducing thermal energy demand in the context of energy-efficient technology adoption, and discuss ways these barriers may be overcome. The barriers include: demand on cognitive resources due to decision complexity; tendency to procrastinate and discount future consequences; deferral to simplifying strategies including repeating past experience and copying the behaviour of others; the desire to act in ways that maintain a positive self-image; and inertia due to fear of regret that one's decision might be ‘wrong’. We discuss behavioural approaches to overcome these barriers, such as emphasising public choice of “green” technology, reframing of benefits, simplifying and optimising the choice environment, focusing on symbolic attributes of new technologies, and changing the temporal structure of costs and benefits. We provide a framework of suggestions for future research which together constitute an important first step in informing behaviour change efforts designed to reduce thermal energy consumption in households.
Promoting behavioural change to reduce thermal energy demand in households:A review
A reduction in thermal energy consumption in buildings is vital for achieving the reductions in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions that are part of EU-2050 targets. A key challenge faced by behavioural scientists is to understand what encourages people to adopt more efficient ways of achieving a satisfactory thermal experience. We review the psychological barriers to reducing thermal energy demand in the context of energy-efficient technology adoption, and discuss ways these barriers may be overcome. The barriers include: demand on cognitive resources due to decision complexity; tendency to procrastinate and discount future consequences; deferral to simplifying strategies including repeating past experience and copying the behaviour of others; the desire to act in ways that maintain a positive self-image; and inertia due to fear of regret that one's decision might be ‘wrong’. We discuss behavioural approaches to overcome these barriers, such as emphasising public choice of “green” technology, reframing of benefits, simplifying and optimising the choice environment, focusing on symbolic attributes of new technologies, and changing the temporal structure of costs and benefits. We provide a framework of suggestions for future research which together constitute an important first step in informing behaviour change efforts designed to reduce thermal energy consumption in households.
Promoting behavioural change to reduce thermal energy demand in households:A review
Hafner, Rebecca J. (author) / Elmes, David (author) / Read, Daniel (author)
2019-03-01
Hafner , R J , Elmes , D & Read , D 2019 , ' Promoting behavioural change to reduce thermal energy demand in households : A review ' , Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews , vol. 102 , pp. 205-214 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.12.004
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
DDC:
690
Effectiveness of behavioural interventions to reduce household energy demand: a scoping review
| DOAJ | 2022
Lessons from behaviour change programmes to reduce water demand
| Online Contents | 2014
Promoting sustainability through behavior change: A review
| British Library Online Contents | 2015
Promoting sustainability through behavior change: A review
| Online Contents | 2015