Gabriel Peschiera

This paper presents a novel ecofeedback system called Watt’s Watts, which is designed to leverage the impacts of individual and social feedback to influence energy consumption behavior

There is a growing need to reduce building energy consumption to limit greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the strain on our electricity grids. Researchers have shown that people are more likely to implement conservation practices in response to energy consumption feedback the more socially proximal the norm provided in that feedback. It has also been shown that sharing individual room-level electricity usage information with peers is more effective in inducing consumption reduction than… Show more

There is a growing need to reduce building energy consumption to limit greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the strain on our electricity grids. Researchers have shown that people are more likely to implement conservation practices in response to energy consumption feedback the more socially proximal the norm provided in that feedback. It has also been shown that sharing individual room-level electricity usage information with peers is more effective in inducing consumption reduction than exposure to generic norms. Designers of energy use feedback systems are leveraging social networks to encourage energy-efficient behavior. Yet, despite growing interest in the role of peer networks to induce energy savings, we know little about how properties of peer networks, such as a given user's position in a peer network, impact consumption behavior. In a 22-room study group where building residents shared room-level electricity consumption information among peer groups in the same building, we tested the correlation of network degree and Eigenvector centrality with percent change in consumption relative to non-participants. This result shows that energy use feedback is more effective in promoting the implementation of energy saving practices as more peers share energy usage information through the feedback system. This finding underscores the importance of exploring and exploiting linkages between social structure and energy conservation. Show less

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the competing factors that impact the usage patterns and adoption of collaborative tools designed to support global virtual collaborative work. Through an analysis of frequency data and recorded interactions, we present findings from a semester-long study of design collaboration in the CyberGRID (Cyber-enabled Global Research Infrastructure for Design), a virtual collaborative space developed in Second Life to support design work in global… Show more

The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the competing factors that impact the usage patterns and adoption of collaborative tools designed to support global virtual collaborative work. Through an analysis of frequency data and recorded interactions, we present findings from a semester-long study of design collaboration in the CyberGRID (Cyber-enabled Global Research Infrastructure for Design), a virtual collaborative space developed in Second Life to support design work in global virtual networks. We discuss tools designed to facilitate the collaborative interaction of seven global virtual networks of designers composed of students from The University of Twente (The Netherlands), Columbia University (United States), the University of Washington (United States), The Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (India) and the Helsinki University of Technology (Finland). Each domestic team was responsible for one component of an integrated design task including the creation of a work schedule, 3D building model, 4D model mapping the work schedule to the 3D model, and a cost estimate. We demonstrate that a number of factors impact tool usage patterns and adoption, including the simplicity of the tool, whether the tool promotes group cohesion, the emergent need for the tools, and local factors specific to the experiences of the domestic teams. We conclude with a discussion of the viability of Second Life as a platform for virtualizing the engineering workforce and highlight challenges of researching and developing tools to support global virtual networks of designers executing complex projects. Show less

Behavior can account for significant differences in building energy use. Monitoring and reporting of building energy use may induce occupants to conserve energy. The goal of this study was to assess the behavioral impact of providing building occupants with personal electricity utilization data contextualized with different social frames of reference. We installed monitoring equipment on the electrical meters for 83 rooms of a six-floor residential dormitory building and formulated three study… Show more

Behavior can account for significant differences in building energy use. Monitoring and reporting of building energy use may induce occupants to conserve energy. The goal of this study was to assess the behavioral impact of providing building occupants with personal electricity utilization data contextualized with different social frames of reference. We installed monitoring equipment on the electrical meters for 83 rooms of a six-floor residential dormitory building and formulated three study groups and a control group from the building occupants. One study group was provided with their own electricity use, a second group was provided their own electricity use contextualized with average building occupant utilization, and a third group was provided with their own electricity use contextualized with both average occupant utilization and the electricity use of their peer network in the building. The only group that significantly reduced their electricity use when compared to the control group was the study group that could view peer network utilization. All three study groups exhibited response–relapse patterns after viewing their electricity consumption raising important questions about the sustainability of energy conservation and monitoring efforts. Show less