Energy Cultures

Research Highlights 2011

OERC Symposium24 Nov 2011

Prof. Gerry Carrington physics / engineering

Dr Paul Thorsneseconomics

Dr Janet Stephensonsociology/human geography

Prof. Rob Lawsonpsychology/marketing

Prof. Barry Bartonlaw (Waikato)

PLUSCoordinator: Maria Ioannou 3 PhD students4 Masters students3 summer students

Postdoc: Dr Becky Ford (aligned research)

Reference Panel: Mercury Energy, EECA, DCC, energy consultant, CAB

Growing!!!

Background to the project

Huge difficulties in achieving energy efficiency uptake“It is difficult to explain low take up of energy efficiency as purely a rational response to investment under uncertainty” (Stern 2007)

Many failed attempts to explain/predict from single discipline perspectives

Energy Cultures – interdisciplinary / systems approach

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

The Energy Cultures framework

Heating devicesInsulation

Social aspirations

Environmental concern

Expected comfort levels

Heat settings

Hours of heating

Maintenance of technologies

Number of rooms heated

Respect for tradition

habit

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Energy sourcesHouse characteristics

AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

DEMOGRAPHICS

UPBRINGING

CLEAN AIR REGULATIONS

SOCIAL MARKETING

ENERGY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

ENERGY PRICE STRUCTURE

BUILDING REGULATIONS

LAW & POLICY FOR EE

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

External influences

Choice modelling

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Household surveys

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

DEMOGRAPHICS

UPBRINGING

CLEAN AIR REGULATIONS

SOCIAL MARKETING

ENERGY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

ENERGY PRICE STRUCTURE

BUILDING REGULATIONS

LAW & POLICY FOR EE

Legal and policy analysis

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Values – “laddering”

Involvement of whole team

Research stages led by single disciplines

Findings discussed by whole team

Involvement of whole team

Problem definitionResearch design

Analysis & integrate findings as a whole

Design & test interventionsInvolvement of whole

team

Choice modelling

Household surveys

Legal & policy analysis

Focus groups

Social network analysis

2012

2011-12

2009-11

A FEW RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Household Surveys

Two national on-line surveys in parallel• National sample of 2400 + 800 from case study areas

• Household energy survey – detailed information on house structure, technologies, practices, beliefs, influences on changeLoads of data, analysis ongoing

• Choice modelling - preferences for space and hot water heating

Some results: Space Heating• Living area nearly always heated but rest of house

much less often. • 40% can set temperature control in living room –

usually 20-22° but ranges from 15 to 30°• Main heating types are electric heaters, heat pumps

and woodburners BUT 20% still use portable gas heaters

Some Results: Appliances:

Have and use Have and don’t useDehumidifiers 32% 11%Dishwashers 50% 7%Clothes driers 51% 13%Plasma TV 24%LCD/LED TV 49%Heated towel rails 29% 18%

75% washing machines are cold fill70% claim energy efficient light bulbs as standard

Some results: Energy Behaviours

• 12% changed heating method in previous 12 months• 16% changed some aspect of insulation in previous 12

months

• 30% keep heating low to save money• 21% say they have gone without heating because they

couldn’t pay a bill.• 9% need extra power for health reasons

• We estimate 18% are in energy poverty (more than 10% of household income on energy)

ENERGY ‘CULTURES’ – FROM HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Two-step cluster analysis

Cluster 1 (21%)

• Lower income (more < $20,000, few >$80,000)• Younger (many 20-30)• Many not in employment, students• Older houses, smaller houses• Many rent – private, HNZ, council• More portable electric heaters, gas heaters(?)• Few appliances - no dishwasher, separate freezer, clothes drier• Do many energy saving practices: Switch off at wall, Reduce heating

unoccupied rooms, Switch off lights, Keep heating low, Line dry laundry, Shorter showers, Reduce water temp, Dishes by hand

• Less likely to have energy efficient technologies, e.g. energy saving lights, energy efficient heating, double glazing

• No ceiling, wall, underfloor insulation, don’t seal drafts• Believe energy choices aren’t complex; we should stop exploitation of

resources• Lowest winter electricity bill

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Cluster 2 (40%)

• All incomes – but many $20-30000• More aged 55 plus• Many retired• Tend to own debt free• Regions – Taranaki, Tasman, Hawkes Bay• Mixed practices: Have & use dehumidifiers, separate freezers,

towel rails. Have & don’t use clothes driers, dishwashers• Have many energy efficient technologies: ceiling, wall, underfloor

insulation, seal drafts• Heat pumps, central heating• Often talk to friends re energy• Pleasure less important• Support minimum standards on appliances + labelling

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Cluster 3 (39%)

• Over $70,000 pa• Age 20-50• In full time work, including self employed• Own with a mortgage• Bigger houses, 4-5 bedrooms• Many heat systems coal, wood, gas, heat transfer systems, some not used• Instant electric and gas water heating• Lots of appliances: Dehumidifiers, clothes driers, plasma TVs, games

consoles, laptops, Tubular TVs, video recorders, computers, spa pools• Do few energy saving practices: Rarely reduce heating in unoccupied

rooms; Don’t keep heating low; Less likely to switch off lights; Less likely line dry laundry; Less likely shorter showers; Less likely dishes by hand

• Think energy choices are complex• Protecting environment not important• Overall spend most on most forms of energy

Material culture

Energy practices

Cognitive norms

Policy intervention conclusions

• Cluster one – doing practices, material culture lacking – therefore target landlords including Housing NZ

• Cluster 2 – already engaged – asking for customised information and performance standards

• Cluster 3 - Not engaged and least concerned – regulation re housing, appliances or pricing??

ENERGY ‘CULTURES’ – FROM CHOICE MODELLING

Choice modelling findings

• 1000Minds• Respondent-specific estimates of relative

utility of various attributes of space heating and water heating systems

• Then used cluster analysis to determine plausible groups (‘cultures’)

Cluster 1 – 16% water heating, 14% space heating

Most concerned about upfront costs

Policy implications for this cluster:• Subsidies necessary, but not

sufficient for some• Low- or no-interest loans?

Cluster 2 – 17% space heating

Willing to invest in more expensive heating but concerned about recovering costs on sale of house

Policy implications for this cluster:• Home energy audits and home

certification programme

Cluster 3 – 23% water heating, 21% space heating

Most concerned about functional reliability of technologies

Policy implications for this cluster:• Independent testing and

certification needed

Cluster 4 – 35% water heating, 22% space heating

Main concern is aesthetics (fit with house, impact on neighbours)

Policy implications for this cluster:• Opportunities for designers &

installers• Subsidies may need to be more

flexible

Cluster 5 – 26% both groups

Preference for some independence from the grid for space and water heating (e.g. solar hw, wetbacks, solid fuel fires etc)

Policy implications for this cluster:• May respond well to subsidies or loans for

solar hot water• Is there a wider appetite for off-grid; if so,

does this extend to desire for feed-in to grid?

Many more findingsEnergy Efficiency: A Comparative Analysis of the New Zealand Legal Framework – Marcel Eusterfeldhaus & Barry Barton, Journal

of Energy and Natural Resources Law, Volume 29 Issue 4, pp.431-470, 2011.Minimum Energy Performance Standards: How does New Zealand compare with other countries? – Sanne van den Dungen, with

revisions by Gerry Carrington, Sept. 2011. http://www.csafe.org.nz/research/Energy%20Cultures/MEPS_report_v14.pdfPersonal Values and Energy Efficiency – Lawson, R., Mirosa, M., Gnoth, D & Hunter, A., Australia New Zealand Marketing Academy

Conference, New Zealand, Nov. 2010. http://anzmac2010.org/proceedings/pdf/anzmac10Final00306.pdfLinking personal values to energy-efficient behaviours – Rob Lawson, Miranda Mirosa, Daniel Gnoth. Under review with

Environment and Behaviour.Characteristics of Household Energy Behaviours – Miranda Mirosa, Daniel Gnoth, Rob Lawson, Janet Stephenson. Report for EECA

November 2010.Rationalising energy-related behaviour in the home: Insights from a value-laddering approach – Miranda Mirosa, Daniel Gnoth,

Rob Lawson, Janet Stephenson. European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Summer Study, France, pp.2109-2119, June 2011.

Household Preferences for Energy Efficient Space and Water Heating Systems – Paul Thorsnes, Rob Lawson, Janet Stephenson, Barry Barton, and Gerry Carrington, presented by Dr Paul Thorsnes, 34th International Association for Energy Economics Conference: Efficiency and Evolving Energy Technologies, Sweden, June 2011.

http://www.hhs.se/IAEE-2011/Program/ConcurrentSessions/Pages/Wednesday,June22,0900-1030,Sessions51-62.aspxEnergy Cultures: An Empircial Examination of New Zealand Households - to be presented to the 2011 Conference on Sustainable

Consumption, Hamburg, November 6-8Energy Cultures – A Framework for Understanding Energy Behaviours – Janet Stephenson, Barry Barton, Gerry Carrington, Daniel

Gnoth, Rob Lawson & Paul Thorsnes, Energy Policy, Volume 38, Issue 10, pp.6120–6129, 2010. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421510004611

Energy Cultures - a framework for interdisciplinary research – Janet Stephenson, Rob Lawson, Gerry Carrington, Barry Barton, Paul Thorsnes, Proceedings of the World Renewable Energy Congress, Sweden, May 2011 http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp_home/index.en.aspx?issue=057

The Practice of Interdisciplinarity – Janet Stephenson, Rob Lawson, Gerry Carrington, Barry Barton, Paul Thorsnes & Miranda Mirosa, The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Volume 5, Issue 7, pp.271-282, 2010. http://iji.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.88/prod.1202

Energy Cultures research highlights October 2011

CURRENT STATE OF PLAY

End of Year 2• All investigative research stages completed ... although new avenues opening up!• Ongoing interest & engagement with key stakeholders• Significant international interest & desire to collaborate or emulate

Year 3 (project ends Sept 2012) • Papers & conference presentations ongoing• Intervention study with DCC, drawing from findings about change motivators