Stanford ARPA-E Initiative:Energy Reductions
Through Sensors, Feedback, & Information Technology
June A. FloraPrecourt Energy Efficiency Center
Principal Investigator: Byron Reeves Department of Communication
Project Director: Carrie Armel Precourt Energy Efficiency Center
Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) • First FOA: 3,700 applications 37 awards (1 behavioral)• Stanford theme: “Leveraging wireless energy sensors with behavioral
science methods to maximize energy savings”• Duration: 2 years beginning April 1, 2010
Interdisciplinary• 20 projects• 15 faculty• 10 departments, 5 schools, 5 centers • 30+ students
•
Precourt Energy Efficiency Center
Stanford Prevention Research Center
Center for Integrated Facility Engineering
Human Sciences and Technologies Advanced Research Institute
Design for Change Lab
Stanford ARPA-E Initiative: Energy Reductions Through Sensors, Feedback, & Information Technology
The opportunity
• A 10% reduction in energy use will lower the quantity of fossil fuels consumed and CO2 emissions produced by an amount roughly equal to a 25-fold increase in wind plus solar power, or a doubling of nuclear power (Sweeney, 2007).
• Much of the opportunity involves behavior change
The problem• Billions spent gathering information
• Smart sensors and infrastructure• Tons of information
• But energy efficiency information is often dull• Smart sensors alone will not change behavior• Complex User Interfaces• Problems are distant• Feedback separated from behavior• “What I get” not obvious (even $)
• Behavior change requires user engagement with energy information, skills to change, and motivation to maintain
The behaviors
• Eliminate wasted energy
• Purchase, install, and properly use technology
• Use settings & controls
• Maintenance of energy using appliances
• New behaviors that are lower energy
• Increase repeat behaviors
Integration of components
Energy sensors(Smart meters
Home Area Networks (HAN)+
Web enabledcomputers and mobile devices
+Feedback
(visualization, informative, interactive, fun, normative)
+Behavior Change Interventions
(Games, incentives, competitions, curricula)
Utility Company
Utility Company
Central Server
Household Energy
Reduction
Household Energy
Reduction
Community•Girl Scouts
•Retrofit Programs
Media•Feedback Interface •Multiplayer Game•Video Vignettes
•Web 2.0•Desktop Dashboard Gadget
•Phone apps
Technology •Sensors & Networking
•Computational Infrastructure•Behavior Related Analytics
Cross-Cutting Projects•Computer infrastructure for prototyping & analysis•Foundational work to inform interventions•Large-scale engineering & economic modeling
The Plan: Complementary Interventions
Policy•Novel Incentives
•Markets•Nudges to Purchase
EE Appliances
The scaleable benefits1. Reduce residential & SMB energy use:
Use quantification to enable:• Feedback – personal and social • Social games• Incentives • Competitions • Data visualization
2. Refine sensor hardware and communication protocols
3. Develop programs: Create best practices with unprecedented speed, ease, cost, and scale
4. Transform evaluation: Ability to rapidly assess program efficacy
5. Improve economic and energy models to inform policy