Green living

Domestic energy-use is one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions in the developed world, and yet most people have only a vague understanding of how much energy the various appliances and systems in their home are using.

Providing people with reliable and up-to-date information about their energy consumption can be one of the most effective ways of enabling them to change their behaviour. Reductions have been shown to be as significant as 15 per cent, benefiting both the individual, with lower energy bills, and the environment by cutting the emissions produced by the home

Rising demand

Energy use is expected to rise across the developed world in the coming years, and many countries are likely to face problems in meeting demand. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reported that demand for electricity in the US is likely to increase by 135,000 megawatts in the next ten years but as yet, newly identified resources can only meet around half that increased demand[1]

The amount of energy used in homes in the UK has been climbing since the 1970s and now accounts for 28 per cent of total energy consumption[2]. Domestic energy-use is responsible for approximately the same level of CO2 emissions as both the industry and transport sectors[3]. Over half this energy is used to heat space within the building, with the rest used to heat water, in lighting and in powering appliances[4].

Promoting behaviour change

Energy-use in the home is largely invisible to the user, meaning that most people have only a vague notion of how much energy they are using for different purposes, and how much of a difference changing small day-to-day behaviours could have[5]. The potential for savings are huge, the Energy Savings Trust estimates that UK homes waste more than £900m each year just by leaving appliances on standby, and almost two-thirds of people leave lights on in empty rooms[6].

Through the use of digital home technology, and the implementation of smart meters for different utilities like electricity, water, gas and solar energy, it is now possible to give accurate and immediate feedback on energy consumption and production within the home. This has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of enabling people to change their behaviour. Studies in the US and Europe, looking at the effects of installing electricity-use displays, have shown a 5 to 15 per cent reduction in usage. The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted a two year long study demonstrating that households with digital tools controlling temperature and price preferences saved an average 10 per cent on their utility bills[7].

Various prototype displays have been tested and the most effective were found to be those that provided the most detailed information in a user-friendly format. These gave both immediate feedback about energy usage and allowed people to review past consumption[8].

Reducing Costs

Domestic energy bills have more than doubled in the past five years, and researchers predict a fourfold increase[9]. Being able to accurately measure energy consumption would enable bills to be based on actual amounts used, rather than relying on home visits and estimates. On a national level, savings on infrastructure could be substantial.

The U.S. Department of Energy's study showed that peak loads on the utility grid could be reduced by 15 per cent if homes had devices to monitor their energy consumption, which would translate to a $70 billion dollar saving on power plant infrastructure over 20 years[10].

A growing interest in reducing usage at an individual household level both for financial and environmental reasons has lead to more and more people investing in efficiency measures, such as increased insulation and double-glazing. In tandem with this, some people have chosen to install home micro-generation equipment, such as wind-turbines, ground heat pumps and solar panels.

Promoveo believes that the micro-grid, in conjunction with local energy management systems, has the potential for a significant contribution to solving the energy crisis. Whilst these measures undoubtedly contribute to reducing bills and emissions, difficultly can arise over assessing how effective they are and what length of time is needed for the technologies to ‘pay for themselves’. Access to accurate usage information, through digital home technology, would enable people to assess how much energy they could generate or save. This would ultimately help them make better informed decisions about managing their own energy consumption.

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