Gamifying energy: let's cut consumptions!

AI Quick Summary

Consumptions are boring, and most of the time they are unclear, so it is difficult to connect users' behaviour and consumptions. The project aims at developing an innovative platform for gamification of residential and office buildings consumptions, helping users to reach their goal of energy saving and CO2 emissions. This project involves also a better consumption monitoring system and the user will for the first time be able to track the effectiveness of any implemented optimisation measures. Project idea descriptionConsumptions are boring, and most of the time they are unclear, so it is difficult to connect users' behaviour and consumptions. Buildings are responsible for an important share of kWh consumed and CO2 emitted. Technological advancements and retrofit really help the decarbonisation process, but users' involvement is crucial for targeting the objectives of the 2050 energy strategy.The project addresses users' of residential and office buildings in Switzerland, providing them with a platform to better monitor consumptions in real time. Users will be involved with an innovative platform, not only with energy KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) but also status bars, badges, rankings, prizes when they reach their custom goals (targeted to be reachable depending on building type, age and function). Current status and previous activitiesThe team is already involved in many projects of systems fine tuning, retrofit assessment and consumption monitoring. This project is a step forward in cutting buildings consumptions, by the active involvement of users.The development team has wide expertise in managing building-related data, like consumptions, surfaces and operational data (space usage, occupancy) and they worked (and currently working) on data collection optimization. Since 2015, the work team has been active as the Ticino antenna for the Energo Association (www.energo.ch). Energo is the national reference competence center for energy optimization in buildings. Winner of the Watt d'or award in 2018, it offers the most extensive database on building consumption in Switzerland. With innovative monitoring platforms and smart optimization services, it is the reference for reducing energy consumption at low investment costs. Energo has an extensive database of energy consumption and performance with over 100,000 buildings located in all major regions of Switzerland. Such "energy" data, together with interventions, costs and property values, available to the research team, are important elements to enhance the project's effectiveness and feasibility. Resources neededThe entire project of which this is a part consists of a total of 5 work packages: WP0 - project management>Data collection & ManagementWP1 - OCR viewer for consumptions meters smart retrofit (plus algorithm calibration)WP2 - Smart meters interface>Data analysisWP3 - Monitoring sectionWP4 - Advanced data analyticsWP5 - Optimization actions analysis>Data visualizationWP6 - GamificationWP7 - Real-timeWP8 - Optimization actions Only the part related to Data analysis and Visualization will be partially addressed within the Innovation Booster Energy Lab call. The budget of 20'000CHF will be used to: >Dashboard Feasibility analysisPreliminary study of the dashboard interface and layoutDeveloping KPIs and metrics for the consumptions>Energy optimisation actionAnalysis of the methodology for tracking optimisation energy actionsDeveloping KPIs and metrics for the actions Where optimisation actions refer to the measures taken by the user to improve the building's energy performance, whether simple plant adjustments or macro interventions (thermal insulation, new windows, etc). The monitoring tool will be the first example of the collection and tracking of these measures on a large scale, structuring a dataset that is extremely useful for improving and forecasting optimisation actions according to a wide variety of scenarios The web-based platform will be designed to raise user awareness through simplified analysis tools, relevant indicators and an intensive use of the gamification concept.Gamification elements are crucial to make the dashboard engaging and motivating for users. When incorporating gamification elements, it is important that these are pertinent to efficiently direct users towards reducing their consumption. Here are some of the gamification elements of interest for the project: - Progress bars: Real-time progress bars can be used to show users how close they are to reaching their consumption goals. Users should be able to see how their consumption levels affect their progress towards their goals.- Badges: badges can be used to reward users for reaching certain milestones. For example, a user could earn a 'Water Saver' badge for reducing their water consumption by a certain percentage. Badges can be displayed on the user's profile page and on a leaderboard to show their achievements.- Leaderboards: Leaderboards can be used to show users how they rank in terms of consumption reduction compared to other users. Rankings can be based on various indicators such as total reduction in consumption, percentage reduction or longest consecutive days of meeting consumption targets. The rankings should be updated in real time and should be prominently displayed on the dashboard.- Challenges: Challenges can be weekly or monthly and should be feasible but challenging. For example, a challenge could be to reduce electricity consumption by 10% for the month of June. Users who successfully complete the challenge can earn prizes such as gift vouchers or discounts on utility bills.- Prizes: prizes can be awarded for reaching certain milestones or for successfully completing challenges. These can be anything from discounts on utility bills to gift vouchers or other tangible rewards. In order to achieve the performance goals of the dashboard, it is therefore important: Set consumption targetsSetting realistic and feasible performance targets is crucial to motivate users to reduce their consumption. Targets can be based on historical data, industry benchmarks or user-defined targets. These must be challenging enough to motivate users to reduce their consumption, but not so difficult as to discourage them.Real-time updatesTo motivate users to reduce their consumption, the dashboard must provide real-time data, statistics and graphs. Visual or audible alerts should be included when users exceed certain consumption limits. In addition, real-time feedback on the amount of energy used should be provided so that users can make immediate changes to their behaviour to reduce consumption.Incorporate the possibility to compare dataIncorporating the possibility to compare consumption data with other similar housing units or with historical data is important to motivate users through comparison metrics.Energy saving tipsIncluding energy saving tips is important to raise user awareness on aspects otherwise only accessible to experts in the field. The dashboard should include specific suggestions for each service (electricity, water, gas) and should be updated regularly with new information. In addition, external references should be organised and structured to convey additional information on energy saving and sustainable practices. Similarly to what has been proposed in the field of health and physical performance improvement tools (e.g. sportwatch), the platform and its applications will be designed with the aim of informing the various actors involved in minimising energy consumption in the building, with both an awareness and motivational action.Consumption data will then be combined with the relevant characteristics of the buildings under analysis (location, type, heated surface area, technical data on the envelope and installations, etc.) as well as the intervention measures undertaken (renovation, replacement or optimisation), catalogued in a systematic way and the generated database will be extremely useful for assessing the impact of the various large-scale measures from which important indications (e.g. guidelines, optimisation measures plan) could be drawn, by means of new data analysis techniques.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Gamifying energy: let's cut consumptions!
• Date: 3/7/2023 9:18:14 AM
• Administrators:

Project Idea Description

Project idea description

Consumptions are boring, and most of the time they are unclear, so it is difficult to connect users' behaviour and consumptions. Buildings are responsible for an important share of kWh consumed and CO2 emitted. Technological advancements and retrofit really help the decarbonisation process, but users' involvement is crucial for targeting the objectives of the 2050 energy strategy.

The project addresses users' of residential and office buildings in Switzerland, providing them with a platform to better monitor consumptions in real time. Users will be involved with an innovative platform, not only with energy KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) but also status bars, badges, rankings, prizes when they reach their custom goals (targeted to be reachable depending on building type, age and function).

Current status and previous activities

The team is already involved in many projects of systems fine tuning, retrofit assessment and consumption monitoring. This project is a step forward in cutting buildings consumptions, by the active involvement of users.

The development team has wide expertise in managing building-related data, like consumptions, surfaces and operational data (space usage, occupancy) and they worked (and currently working) on data collection optimization. Since 2015, the work team has been active as the Ticino antenna for the Energo Association (www.energo.ch). Energo is the national reference competence center for energy optimization in buildings. Winner of the Watt d'or award in 2018, it offers the most extensive database on building consumption in Switzerland. With innovative monitoring platforms and smart optimization services, it is the reference for reducing energy consumption at low investment costs. Energo has an extensive database of energy consumption and performance with over 100,000 buildings located in all major regions of Switzerland. Such "energy" data, together with interventions, costs and property values, available to the research team, are important elements to enhance the project's effectiveness and feasibility.

Resources needed

The entire project of which this is a part consists of a total of 5 work packages:

• WP0 - project management

>Data collection & Management

• WP1 - OCR viewer for consumptions meters smart retrofit (plus algorithm calibration)
• WP2 - Smart meters interface

>Data analysis

• WP3 - Monitoring section
• WP4 - Advanced data analytics
• WP5 - Optimization actions analysis

>Data visualization

• WP6 - Gamification
• WP7 - Real-time
• WP8 - Optimization actions

Only the part related to Data analysis and Visualization will be partially addressed within the Innovation Booster Energy Lab call. The budget of 20'000CHF will be used to:

>Dashboard Feasibility analysis

• Preliminary study of the dashboard interface and layout
• Developing KPIs and metrics for the consumptions

>Energy optimisation action

• Analysis of the methodology for tracking optimisation energy actions
• Developing KPIs and metrics for the actions

Where optimisation actions refer to the measures taken by the user to improve the building's energy performance, whether simple plant adjustments or macro interventions (thermal insulation, new windows, etc). The monitoring tool will be the first example of the collection and tracking of these measures on a large scale, structuring a dataset that is extremely useful for improving and forecasting optimisation actions according to a wide variety of scenarios

The web-based platform will be designed to raise user awareness through simplified analysis tools, relevant indicators and an intensive use of the gamification concept.

Gamification elements are crucial to make the dashboard engaging and motivating for users. When incorporating gamification elements, it is important that these are pertinent to efficiently direct users towards reducing their consumption. Here are some of the gamification elements of interest for the project:

- Progress bars: Real-time progress bars can be used to show users how close they are to reaching their consumption goals. Users should be able to see how their consumption levels affect their progress towards their goals.

- Badges: badges can be used to reward users for reaching certain milestones. For example, a user could earn a 'Water Saver' badge for reducing their water consumption by a certain percentage. Badges can be displayed on the user's profile page and on a leaderboard to show their achievements.

- Leaderboards: Leaderboards can be used to show users how they rank in terms of consumption reduction compared to other users. Rankings can be based on various indicators such as total reduction in consumption, percentage reduction or longest consecutive days of meeting consumption targets. The rankings should be updated in real time and should be prominently displayed on the dashboard.

- Challenges: Challenges can be weekly or monthly and should be feasible but challenging. For example, a challenge could be to reduce electricity consumption by 10% for the month of June. Users who successfully complete the challenge can earn prizes such as gift vouchers or discounts on utility bills.

- Prizes: prizes can be awarded for reaching certain milestones or for successfully completing challenges. These can be anything from discounts on utility bills to gift vouchers or other tangible rewards.

In order to achieve the performance goals of the dashboard, it is therefore important:

Set consumption targets

Setting realistic and feasible performance targets is crucial to motivate users to reduce their consumption. Targets can be based on historical data, industry benchmarks or user-defined targets. These must be challenging enough to motivate users to reduce their consumption, but not so difficult as to discourage them.

Real-time updates

To motivate users to reduce their consumption, the dashboard must provide real-time data, statistics and graphs. Visual or audible alerts should be included when users exceed certain consumption limits. In addition, real-time feedback on the amount of energy used should be provided so that users can make immediate changes to their behaviour to reduce consumption.

Incorporate the possibility to compare data

Incorporating the possibility to compare consumption data with other similar housing units or with historical data is important to motivate users through comparison metrics.

Energy saving tips

Including energy saving tips is important to raise user awareness on aspects otherwise only accessible to experts in the field. The dashboard should include specific suggestions for each service (electricity, water, gas) and should be updated regularly with new information. In addition, external references should be organised and structured to convey additional information on energy saving and sustainable practices.

Similarly to what has been proposed in the field of health and physical performance improvement tools (e.g. sportwatch), the platform and its applications will be designed with the aim of informing the various actors involved in minimising energy consumption in the building, with both an awareness and motivational action.

Consumption data will then be combined with the relevant characteristics of the buildings under analysis (location, type, heated surface area, technical data on the envelope and installations, etc.) as well as the intervention measures undertaken (renovation, replacement or optimisation), catalogued in a systematic way and the generated database will be extremely useful for assessing the impact of the various large-scale measures from which important indications (e.g. guidelines, optimisation measures plan) could be drawn, by means of new data analysis techniques.

Consumptions are boring, and most of the time they are unclear, so it is difficult to connect users' behaviour and consumptions. The project aims at developing an innovative platform for gamification of residential and office buildings consumptions, helping users to reach their goal of energy saving and CO2 emissions. This project involves also a better consumption monitoring system and the user will for the first time be able to track the effectiveness of any implemented optimisation measures.