In the context of climate change and heightened concerns about our energy future, academics and policy makers have taken an interest in the different motivational factors influencing individuals’ energy-use behavior. One area of particular interest is the role of information and other non-financial motivators: When traditional financial incentives are not appropriate or inadequate, are there alternative means we can use to encourage energy conservation? Our research looks at the effect of two different types of information programs used to promote household energy conservation: feedback and social nudges. To do this we conducted a field experiment at a family housing complex where the cost of electricity is included in the rent. Residents were presented with weekly Home Electricity Reports [HERs] with feedback on their electricity use. A portion of the residents additionally received HERs with information about how their electricity consumption compared to their neighbors (a social nudge). We then monitored households’ electricity-use to see if we could detect any changes. Overall we estimated a 1.4 percent reduction in energy-use as a result of the feedback treatment. This figure increased to a 3.9 percent reduction when the sample was restricted to households that received low-user status during the pre-treatment period. Low-users also appeared to react to the social nudge, however, the reaction depended on whether the household had received an HER indicating that it consumed above- or below- average the week before. Time-of-day analysis suggested that the majority of the changes in electricity-use behavior occurred during evening and night hours.

This Doctoral thesis studies how nudges can help protect the environment. Three empirical and one theoretical studies investigate applications of green nudges and identify situations where they should, or should not, be used to promote environmental conservation. In Chapter 1, we explore the interplay between nudges and financial policy instruments using an incentivized online experiment that reproduces daily energy behaviors. We find that these two tools do not perform better when implemented together than individually. Our results suggest that in some situations, displacements between behavioral and financial policy tools are more likely to arise than synergies. Chapter 2 presents a field study in which a behavioral intervention is used to promote energy conservation in the workplace. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we find a significant reduction in branches’ monthly consumption outside the work schedule only, but not on overall consumption. Our findings suggest that nudges that are effective in the household context do not necessarily prompt behavioral change in the working environment. In Chapter 3, we develop a behavioral model for the usage of in-home displays that provide real-time feedback on energy consumption, focusing on social housing. On top of the cost-benefit analysis between financial and moral utility, on the one hand, and the effort from using them, on the other hand, we add the role of cognitive biases. This study seeks to improve the design of behavioral policies aimed at tackling energy poverty. Chapter 4 presents an incentivized online experiment that studies moral cleansing in the interpersonal and environmental domains. We find that bad behaviors that impact others trigger costly moral cleansing, whereas those that impact the environment do not even trigger costless cleansing. This empirically shows that people perceive environmental issues differently from other moral issues.

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Med det rådande klimathotet ställs högre krav på fastighetsbranschen att minska sin energianvändning. Denna rapport fokuserar på energieffektivisering i KTHs, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolans, huvudbyggnad som förvaltas av Akademiska Hus. Huset, som är en av KTHs minst energieffektiva hus, är byggt i nationalromantisk byggstil och invigdes 1917. Idag klassificeras byggnaden som en blå byggnad, enligt Stockholms Stadsmuseum, vilket är deras högsta klassificering och betyder att den har ett högt historiskt värde. Denna rapport studerar och utvärderar de energibesparingsåtgärder som Akademiska Hus har genomfört i huvudbyggnaden sedan 2016. Ytterligare studeras andra energieffektiviseringsåtgärder i andra hus med kulturhistoriska värden. En undersökning över befintliga tekniker och metoder för energieffektivisering redovisas även i rapporten. Resultatet visar att många energibesparingsåtgärder har genomförts i huset och lett till förbättring men denna förbättring motsvarar inte Akademiska Hus mål om en energiminskning på minst 3 % per år. Det finns nya tekniker som kan implementeras i olika delar av huset för att minska energianvändningen utan att påverka det kulturhistoriska värdet. En av dessa tekniker är att optimera styrning av värme- och kylsystemet. / With the current climate threat, higher demands are placed on the real estate industry to reduce its energy use. This report focuses on the energy efficiency in KTH's, Royal Institute of Technology’s, main building, which is managed by Akademiska Hus. The building, which is one of KTH's least energy-efficient buildings, is built in a national romantic building style and opened in 1917. Today, the building is classified as a blue building, according to the Stockholm City Museum, which is their highest classification and means that it has a high cultural-historical value. This report studies and evaluates the energy saving measures that Akademiska Hus has implemented in the main building since 2016. Furthermore, energy saving measures are being studied in other houses with cultural-historical values. A study of other technologies and methods for energy conservation has also been done in the report. The results shows that many energy saving measures have been implemented in the main building and have led to improvement, but this improvement does not meet Akademiska Hus's goal of an energy reduction of at least 3 % per year. There are new technologies that can be implemented in different parts of the building to reduce the energy used. One of these methods is the optimization of heating and cooling system.​

<p>As energy costs continue to escalate and awareness spreads with regard to the importance of sustainability, interest in reducing energy consumption of buildings is growing. For managers of large stocks of office buildings, the task of selecting building improvement projects is most challenging. A multitude of energy conservation measures (ECMs) are available from which to select, however financial resources are limited and in high demand. Thus, ECMs must be known to be effective and prioritized so as to provide the highest benefit for the financial resources available.</p> <p>The aim of this study is to provide a screening methodology for the evaluation and prioritization of ECMs for implementation in a stock of buildings that exhibit varying characteristics and locations. Prioritization of ECMs is based on predicted energy consumption savings and financial analysis. Building stocks are reduced to a manageable set by applying archetype classification. Energy consumption predictions for representative buildings from each archetype are obtained through use of a mathematical model. Twelve ECMs pertaining to improvements in the building envelope, HVAC, and electrical systems are considered and ranked based on present value over the short, mid, and long terms.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

This dissertation surveyed Section 8 participants to collect the information necessary to update utility allowances to reflect fy 1983 utility costs. Data was collected regarding the thermal efficiency of units currently under lease and the lifestyles of participants. HUD specified that allowances were to be updated by collecting and analyzing actual energy use data (from previous utility bills if possible). However, VHDA chose to contract with this author to develop a model which could estimate actual energy use from the survey data. Such a model was developed and validated using case studies of Section 8 units that were able to return accurate actual use data; as part of the information requested in the survey. Following model validation, the model was used to update utility allowances and generate a set of allowance worksheets VHDA field agents use when determining levels of assistance under the Section 8 program. A total VHDA utility budget was then estimated by aggregating the individual utility allowances based on the updated worksheets. The new total utility budget was estimated to be $6.2 million while the previous budget was about $3.8 million. This was clearly higher than VHDA had the funds to cover. Therefore solutions were explored to reduce these budget costs and still provide 100% of the cost of utilities. / Ph. D.

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) refers to the collection of rainwater for subsequent on-site use. Rainwater is most often used for non-potable purposes including toilet flushing, laundering, landscape and commercial crop irrigation, industry, fire fighting, air-conditioning, and vehicle-washing. This study evaluates the potential impacts of RWH on residential housing on Virginia Tech campus in southwestern Virginia in regards to potable water offset, energy conservation, stormwater mitigation, carbon emission reduction, and financial savings. Potential rainwater collection was estimated from three simulations used to approximate the maximum, average, and minimum range of annual precipitation. Collected rainwater estimates were used to calculate the impacts on the areas of interest. Cumulatively, the sample buildings can collect 3.4 to 5.3 millions of gallons of rainwater — offsetting potable water use and reducing stormwater by an equivalent amount, save 320 to 1842 kWh of energy, and reduce carbon emissions by 650 to 3650 pounds annually. Cumulative savings for the nine buildings from combined water and energy offsets range between $5751 and $9005 USD, not substantial enough to serve as the sole basis of RWH implementation on campus. A significant advantage of RWH relates to the management and improvement of the Stroubles Creek watershed in which the majority of the campus sits. Additionally, RWH implementation would benefit sustainable initiatives and provide Virginia Tech additional opportunities for conservation incentives and environmental stewardship funding. / Master of Science

Energy conscious design should become an inherent part of the design process. This study shall present energy conscious guidelines in a format that can be integrated into the decision-making process. The three elements which can be manipulated through this design process are outlined to provide a source of reference for the designer. The passive solar energy systems, the landscaping, and the building form allow an integration and optimization of their inherent components to achieve energy conscious design. The material is specifically formatted to appeal to the designer's need to quickly locate the material and then to easily review its contents. An outline format is maintained throughout the study that remains concise in presentation with abundant references to illustrations. This study does not attempt to fully educate the user on the subjects presented, nor is all the information contained herein. These guidlines attempt to provide a basis for energy conscious design in the decision-making process and to encourage the designer to become more versed in these areas. / M. Arch.

This study measures the shading properties of tree branches as they affect the amount of available sunlight (insolation) reaching structures placed within the visible tree shadow. Measurement was accomplished by placing a grid in throughout the entire shadow pattern formed, by each study tree between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. Data was collected at each point of the grid to determine the percent insolation blockage or penetration, through a tree canopy. This data was then transferred to a graphed tree shadow pattern and interpolated to create tree shading density contours in the tree shadow pattern. Data was analyzed to determine the effects of sample tree shadow patterns upon the passive solar heat gain of windows located within the tree shadow. This study offers as a guide to future research, the beginning of a tree typology. The typology categories trees commonly grown and available in Virginia, into form and size categories. The typology also begins to assimilate data collected by other researchers on summer and winter canopy densities, leaf drop, and leaf onset periods. The typology creates a framework for future research and serves as a means to record which trees have been investigated, and which have not. Another attribute of the typology is its potential benefit to designers. It can be utilized as a tree selection tool for energy-conserving landscape designs. Several additional questions and suggested improvements for data collection have been provided for those who care to continue research into this area. / Master of Landscape Architecture

High inflation rates, rising energy costs, and resulting school budget problems have forced educators to examine alternative ways to ease the disproportionate impact energy costs have on the total financial resources of school districts. Renewable energy resources offer a wide variety of possible alternative ways to provide situationally appropriate answers to this budget problem. This study described the renewable energy resource system options in such detail as to enable educational leaders to make choices in directing planners to do further feasibility studies and in applying existing technologies to current facilities and new construction. Some of the energy resource categories examined were as follows: solar (including active and passive solar heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting, photovoltaics, and solar salt ponds), wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal. A good deal of the task was to describe the systems, to provide examples, to review the literature, resources, and location of usage, to analyze their cost effectiveness, to determine standardization and availability of technology, to review other feasibility considerations, and to examine institutional, governmental and other inhibitors to use of available systems. All of the renewable energy resource systems have demonstrated successful competition with traditional energy resources in appropriate settings. Solar energy has been most widely utilized and priority consideration was increasingly given to passive solar applications and active solar heating, especially in hot water and district heating. Some of the resources were regarded as more appropriate to remote settings, especially wind power, hydropower, and some forms of biomass. The technology needed was available, even for geothermal energy. / Ed. D.