Building the case for automated building energy management

Energy consumption in buildings comprises a significant fraction of total worldwide energy consumption and is strongly influenced by occupant behavior. To explore the quantitative effect of particular occupant actions on building energy consumption, we have evaluated eight energy-saving behaviors, as well as the use of an in-home display (IHD), in 10 homes over the course of ten weeks. The results showed maximum savings ranging from 0%-20% attributed to the IHD, indicating that real-time feedback combined with actionable suggestions can motivate substantial conservation. By examining the data along with pre and post-experiment surveys, we conclude that automation is necessary to ease the more tedious tasks such as "unplug when not in use" and "unplug the TV," where fewer than half of the highly capable and motivated participants performed the actions.