| dc.contributor.advisor | Leslie K. Norford. | en_US |
| dc.contributor.author | Stigge, Byron J. (Byron John), 1977- | en_US |
| dc.contributor.other | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2005-08-23T21:54:47Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2005-08-23T21:54:47Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2001 | en_US |
| dc.date.issued | 2001 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8636 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2001. | en_US |
| dc.description | Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-78). | en_US |
| dc.description.statementofresponsibility | by Byron J. Stigge, Jr. | en_US |
| dc.format.extent | 85 p. | en_US |
| dc.format.extent | 6563141 bytes | |
| dc.format.extent | 6562897 bytes | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | en_US |
| dc.rights | M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. | en_US |
| dc.rights.uri | http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 | |
| dc.subject | Architecture. | en_US |
| dc.title | Informed home energy behavior : developing a tool for homeowners to monitor, plan and learn about energy conservation | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
| dc.description.degree | S.M. | en_US |
| dc.contributor.department | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Architecture | |
| dc.identifier.oclc | 49564526 | en_US |
| dc.audience.educationlevel | A conceptual design of a home energy console is proposed that could contribute to home energy conservation by motivating behavior changes. A home energy console is a digital display in the home which should motivate behavior changes by visualizing energy consumption at the point of consumption, providing feedback on past performance, and suggesting improvements for future performance. The resulting console should be more tool-like than simply a presentation of data, meaning homeowners should take an active role in the control, operation and maintenance of their homes. By aiding small day to day decisions the console should gradually influence major decisions and lifestyles. This investigation was motivated by research from 1977 to 1985 that demonstrated how feedback on daily energy use, thermostat setpoints, and open windows could reduce energy consumption by up to 20%. This thesis represents, in a current context, this body of knowledge including examples of feedback techniques to encourage conservation, incentives for different types of people, and a control theory which engages the user for the purposes of learning and environmental awareness. This thesis presents a design and evaluation process of developing a prototype console. The process consisted of: reviewing prior studies on home energy feedback, developing behavioral theories for energy conservation education, performing user testing from paper sketches of a mock-up console design, and evaluating test sessions of a prototype design on a touchscreen and digital table. User testing was conducted with non-MIT test subjects in a laboratory setting with mock-up display designs. The qualitative findings were attitudes and expectations of the testers, and included: specific examples of cost feed back, methods for appealing to different types of people and suggestions for an effective structuring of the console, solutions for presenting different people feedback in their own personal way. The thesis should help future energy console designers start thinking about designing a better energy console. | en_US |
