Behavior Related Energy Use in Single-Family Homes : A Study on residential houses in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Complete overview of energy use in a residential building is depends on many different factors. When analyzing proper and effective ways for energy reducing/conserving systems, often times only technological solutions for households appliances are considered. Human behavior has been shown to be an important factor affecting the overall energy use in the household. Many aspects of energy use are directly connected to user behavior and are affected by how the user utilizes available systems. This paper focuses on describing the mean influencing causes of human environmental psychology based on study on a Swedish suburb community, called Fårdala. User behaviors and actions affecting residential energy use are analyzed and presented in form of eleven (11) abstract triggers to households energy use. Finally an energy monitoring system based on the findings are purposed. What is found from study on human psychology, shows that human behavior is mainly controlled by three (3) key categories of behavior. Conscious/voluntary behavior, Socio-environmental/cultural based behavior and Systemic/learned behavior. Out of the three, while the last one poses as most influential on behavior related energy use, it is also the hardest to affect and change. To effectively counteract the negative effects of user behavior on residential energy use, energy saving devices should react more accordingly to the users and offer engagement. Such a system is an energy monitoring device, which allows for a “double-sided” communication with the user. The user is presented with relevant information about real-time energy use of all of the systems and is able to make changes on the fly. The system should also be able to learn and apply energy saving actions based on user behavior.