Post on 15-Aug-2020
Dr Janet Stephenson Director, Centre for Sustainability
University of Otago, New Zealand
Talk to EMANZ Conference, 25 May 2015
The Energy Cultures team
Prof. Gerry Carrington physics/
engineering
Dr Paul Thorsnes
economics
Dr Janet Stephenson sociology/
human geography
Prof. Rob Lawson
consumer psychology
Prof. Barry Barton
law & policy
Dr John Williams
marketing
Dr Rebecca Ford
engineering
Dr Sara Walton
management
Dr David Rees
system dynamics
Dr Charles Sullivan
psychology; statistics
Dr Michelle Scott psychology, HCI
Dr Debbie Hopkins
environmental sociology
Alaric McCarthy environmental
science
Dr Ben Wooliscroft macro-marketing
Jane Khan, administrator
Which statement best describes your overall attitude to energy use? N=2278
“Making choices about energy efficiency in the home is complex”
“It’s difficult to know what information to trust in regards to energy efficiency”
Energy saving modifications
Understanding behaviour can be complicated!
Individual • Theory of Reasoned Action
(Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975)
• Theory of Planned Behaviour (Azjen 1985)
• Norm Activation Model (Schwartz, 1977)
• Social Norms Approach (Perkins & Berkowitz, 1986)
• Technology Acceptance Model (Ventakesh & Bala 2010)
• etc
Social/Contextual • Systems thinking (von
Bertalanffy 1968; Emery 1969, Midgley 2003, Mingers & Brocklesby 1997)
• Structuration (Giddens 1979, 1984)
• Practice theory (Reckwitz 2002, Batriaux et al 2014; Hand et al 2007; Shove 2004).
• Actor-network theory (Latour 1993, Law and Hassard 1999)
• Socio-technical systems (Smith and Stirling 2007), multi-level perspective (Geels 2002, 2004)
• etc
THE ENERGY CULTURES FRAMEWORK
Material culture
Practices Norms
Have
Think Do
“Energy culture”
Stephenson et al 2010
Example: heating culture of a household
Heating devices Window glazing
Insulation House structure
Turning on heater
Putting on jersey
Maintaining heating technologies
Drawing curtains
Aspirations for a new heating system
Expectations of warmth
Carrying on traditions
Material culture
Practices Norms
Material culture
Material culture comprises the technologies, structures and other assets which play a role in how usable energy is produced, transformed and consumed to achieve products and services
Practices
Practices are actions, activities and processes undertaken that result in the consumption, production, or avoidance of the use of energy.
Norms
People’s expectations and aspirations about their practices and material culture, as shaped by their
beliefs about what is appropriate or socially desirable
Stephenson et al. (2015)
What is your “Energy Culture” for heating??
Material culture
Practices Norms
Feedback loops habits
Material culture
Practices Norms
No insulation Inefficient heating
Only heat one room Expect low
indoor temperatures Wear warm clothes
inside
External influences
Factors which are largely beyond the control of the group or individual in question, and yet have the potential to influence their norms, practices or material culture.
Material culture
Practices Norms
Subsidies Landlord attitudes
Energy prices Social marketing
External influences can reinforce habits - or drive change
ENERGY CULTURES AT LARGER SCALES
Material culture
Energy practices
Norms Material culture
Energy practices
Norms
Material culture
Energy practices
Norms
Material culture
Energy practices
Norms
Energy cultures across households
Data from national survey 2010 c2400 responses
Energy Economical (24.1%)
Energy Economical
Energy Extravagant (19.3%)
Energy Extravagant
Practices Norms
Material culture
Energy Efficient (24.1%)
Energy Efficient
Practices Norms
Material culture
Energy Easy (30.6%)
Energy Easy
Practices Norms
Material culture
Energy Economical
Energy Extravagant
Energy Efficient
Energy Easy
What’s your energy culture?
Energy cultures at multiple levels, e.g. in the timber industry
Bell et al., 2013
Our national energy culture: material
NZ’s energy culture: norms
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Ho
use
ho
ld e
ner
gy u
se p
er c
apit
a p
er a
nn
um
(G
J)
Other fossil fuels
Heat
Electricity
Natural gas
Soild biofuels
NZ’s energy culture: practices IEA 2010
CHANGING ENERGY CULTURES
Norms
Material culture
Practices Aspirations
Internal influences on change: new aspirations
Material culture
Practices Norms
Internal influences on change: new material culture
Internal influences on change: new practices
Material culture
Norms Practices
Changing business energy cultures
HAVE: Material culture
DO: Energy-related
practices
THINK: Organisational expectations
Trigger point: Replacing old
equipment
Fits with current operations
Monitoring important
Reducing costs
Security of supply
Payback period
HAVE: Material culture
DO: Energy-related
practices
THINK: Organisational expectations
Changing technologies &/or
processes
Whole system – lean manufacturing
Trigger point: Examine practices for
efficiency opportunities
Having KPIs around energy
efficiency
Employee commitment
Incentives and rewards
Linked to health &
safety
HAVE: Material culture
DO: Energy in
operations
THINK: Organisational
aspirations
Trigger point: values; market
share
Concern for environment
Clean, green energy
Efficient technologies including energy generation
Build competitive advantage
Efficient practices
Changing household energy cultures
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
MW
Cumulative Capacity
PV Uptake in New Zealand
Courtesy of Dr. Allan Miller and the EPECentre
22MW April 2015
Material culture
Practices Norms
PV more visible Rising cost of electricity
Improving affordability of PV units
Aspirations
Supporting aspirations for independence
Material culture
Practices Norms
Support for improving technical skills
Supportive social networks
Facilitation of supplier/installer relationships
PV more visible Rising cost of electricity
Support for improving energy literacy
Improving affordability of PV units
Upfront cost
Uncertainty about technical advancements
Lack of financial incentives
Trusted information Aspirations
Practices Norms
New material culture
Aspirations
Material culture
Material culture
New practices?
Material culture
Norms Aspirations
Material culture
Practices Practices
Behaviour changes reported
Many altered high consumption activities to daytime “Washing and dishwasher run only during the day. Thinking of connecting the hot water cylinder as well and turn this off during the dark hours.” “In summer months, I tried my utmost to use all the electricity I can during the day.” A small number mentioned they consumed more due to renewable source
New aspirations?
Material culture
New aspirations
? Practices
Becoming “prosumers”
Material culture
Practices Norms
External influences
External influences
External influences
External influences
Energy cultures invites consideration of ...
How people get locked into behaviours
What externally is supporting this lock-in
Triggers of change within energy cultures
Drivers for change in external context
Interventions for specific energy cultures
Knock-on effects of a change
Further reading: • Stephenson, J., Barton, B., Carrington, G., Gnoth, D., Lawson, R., & Thorsnes, P. (2010) Energy Cultures: A framework for understanding energy behaviours. Energy Policy, 38: 6120–6129. • Carrington, G., Ford, R., Lawson, R., Stephenson, J., Thorsnes, P., Williams, J. (2013) Energy Cultures: Implications for Policymakers. Research Report, Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. ISBN: 978-0-473-23717-2 • Bell, M., G. Carrington, R. Lawson, J. Stephenson (2014). Socio-technical barriers to the use of low-emission timber drying technology in New Zealand. Energy Policy 67: 747–755. • Ford, R., Stephenson, J., Brown, N., & Stiehler, W. (2014). Energy Transitions: Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS). Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago. • King, G., Stephenson, J., & Ford, R. (2014). PV in Blueskin: Drivers, barriers and enablers of uptake of household photovoltaic systems in the Blueskin communities, Otago, New Zealand. Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. • Ford, R., Stephenson, J., Scott, M., Williams, J., Wooliscroft, B., King, G., & Miller, A. (2014). PV in New Zealand: The story so far. Published by the Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago. • Stephenson, J., Barton, B., Carrington, G., et al. (2015). The energy cultures framework: Exploring the role of norms, practices and material culture in shaping energy behaviour in New Zealand. Energy Research & Social Science, 7, 117-123.
With many thanks to our funders...