Intelligent and Green?

Smart Homes and Sustainability from a User

Perspective

Michael Ornetzeder

Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI)

Harald Rohracher

Inter-University Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture (IFF/IFZ)

IAPS 18, Vienna 2004

Guiding Questions

• What is the potential of building automation to contribute to sustainability in buildings? (with a focus on Austrian situation)

• How do potential users perceive sustainable applications of Smart Homes? How are people actually using these technologies?

• How could user perspectives be better integrated into the design of smart homes?

Smart Home

• ICTs have been installed to help control a variety of functions and to provide communications with the world outside

• Combination of appliances, information technology and services into integrated concepts

eBox Load Management

The Kitchen Project

Research Strategy• Socio-technical mapping of Smart Homes

– Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (producers, builders, energy experts): Critical issues

– Interviews with people living in Smart Homes: Practices of use

– Focus groups with users of sustainable buildings

• Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA)

– Integrating various actor groups into design process

– Joint vision building

– Three consecutive workshops with ‘smart home’ producers and suppliers; architects; energy experts; consumer associations + follow up in focus groups

A Socio-Technical System in Disarray

• Smart Homes and energy efficient buildings are focal points of rather separated communities

• ‚Ecologists‘ in the first place think of many other (more effective) measures to save energy

• Producers: guiding vision of high-tech ‚automobile‘ (command and control)

• Task to build smart and at the same time highly energy efficient homes is regarded as too complex (for a broader market)

• Difficult to ‚transport‘ use-value of technology

User Perspectives• Energy issues from a users’ point of view

– Users are often interested in energy saving, but it‘s not decisive for the installation of SH

– Energy feedback (visualisation) is seen as an interesting tool, but few people would pay for it

– Scepticism about load management (not many potentials, restriction of autonomy)

• Focus on ‘single’ uses, no need for integrated solutions

• Concern about data security issues (Internet etc.)

• For ‚Smart Home‘-supporters energy saving often is important at a rhetorical level - comfort, security, and safety is much more decisive

Intelligent and Green?

• Potential energy efficiency applications of Smart Homes do exist

• However, with present conditions such uses do not seem very likely

– No alignment of innovation players– Users hardly see added value of Smart Homes– Other uses more interesting than energy efficiency

(potential drivers for wide dissemination)

• Challenges for R&D policy

– Keeping options open for energy applications

– Gaining experiences with practices of use

Michael Ornetzeder

Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI)

Linke Wienzeile 246

1150 Vienna, Austria

ornetzeder@zsi.at

www.zsi.at