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...