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Social-Psychological Factors and Energy BehaviorsChien-fei ChenCURENT courseNovember 6th, 2013Knoxville, Tennessee

Social Psychological Factors and Energy BehaviorsWhy should you care?

Factors of Influencing Electricity SavingsDecision-making ModelsEvidence of Energy and BehaviorsDemand response, incentives and behavioral changes

Factors of Influencing Public Acceptance of Smart MetersIntervention (Norms, Goal-setting, Framing, Barriers)8-632Decision-making: understand the process of how individuals make decisions in energy domain and how the impact of behaviors on energy use and the environment as a whole.Awareness: connection between engineering profession to the consequences of its activities on the societyImprovement: engineering technology designs and make broader impact.Persuasion: explain and discuss the ramifications of developments in engineering and engineering works to the public. Big Picture!

Why Should You Care?Focus of Environmental SociologySocialEconomicPolicyIndividualAttitudes/ValuesPerceived normsPersonal practicesRisk/technology biasKnowledge/SkillsDemographicsSECPersonal costAmount of savingsProperty or land valuesFederal, state and local regulationsRight-of-wayCommunityCommunity normsCommunity risksHealth effectsInequality (NIMBY)Environmental impactCampaignsEconomic growInvestorsMarket adoptions

RegulationsRight-of-wayEnvironmental and land ordinancesOrganizationTechnology acceptanceTrustCooperationOwnershipResource availabilityTechnology DevelopmentTechnology CostInvestorsMarket pricingBuilding codesRegulatory compliance

1-4Environmental impact: pollution, climate change, noise, aesthetics 4Typical Social Science Studies1-5Social Psychological Factors and Energy BehaviorsWhy should you care?

Factors of Influencing Electricity SavingsDecision-making ModelsEvidence of Energy and BehaviorsDemand response, incentives and behavioral changes

Factors of Influencing Public Acceptance of Smart MetersIntervention (Norms, Goal-setting, Framing)8-636Energy and Behavioral ChangeWhat are the factors of affecting energy use?

How to reduce energy consumption?

How to change peoples behaviors over time?

1-7Creating an Energy Revolution

A revolution doesnt happen when society adopts new tools, it happens when society adopts new behaviors (Glay Shirky, Digital Guru)

Mitigate future climate change will be made by energy consumers, rather than suppliers not a straightforward and easily achievable goal (EIA, 2009)

1-8U.S. Energy Consumption in 20101-9QuestionsWhat is your average monthly electricity consumption?

What is average American household electricity consumption?1-10A Household Consumption in TN1-11Average: 1228.2 KWhAverage Monthly Electricity Consumption per Household in 2009

1-12Tennessee Average: 1302 KWhHighest in the nation in 2009US. Average 908 KWhHow Much Can Household Save Energy?Researchers identifying more than 100 separate conservation and energy efficiency measures (all cost-effective) that could be taken in a short period of time (Laitner and Martinez, 2009);Based on a Monte Carto probability simulation, an energy savings potential on the order of about 9 Quads (9% of US energy use) compared to current use.1-13What is the scale of potential energy savings by individuals?

13Evidences of Energy BehaviorsBehavioral approach could save 123 million metric tons of carbon annually in year 10 from a study of 17 household actions, representing 20% of household direct emissions or 7.4% of U.S. national emissions.Types of household behaviors (based on cost and frequency of action) could result in a 22% reduction in household and personal transportation energy use over a 5-8 year period (Laitner & Ehrhardt-Martinez, 2009).In crisis situations, energy saving has resulted in immediate, community-level electricity savings of 25% in 6 weeks and post-crisis savings of 8-10% (Leighty & Meier, 2010).Feedback programs and devices could save electricity from 4-12% (Ehrhardt-Martinez, et al. 2010).1-1414Carbon Emission and Behavioral Change1-15

Reasonably Achievable Emissions Reductions Emissions resulting from percent of population that would likely adopt the emissions reducing behaviors with effective interventionsSize of the emissions reduction for the specified behavior per person x the number of people who could reduce the emissions by changing that behavior15What Does Behavior Mean? 1-16Source: ACEEE online survey on 123 professionalsSocial Psychological Factors and Energy BehaviorsWhy should you care?

Factors of Influencing Electricity SavingsDecision-making ModelsEvidence of Energy and BehaviorsDemand response, incentives and behavioral changes

Factors of Influencing Public Acceptance of Smart MetersIntervention (Norms, Goal-setting, Framing)8-6317Traditional Economic and Engineering ModelsTypical responses to energy crisis:Find new energy resourcesDevelop technology engineers jobProvide financial incentives for people to reduce consumption; to adopt more efficient technologiesAssumption of rationalityPeople are instrumental and self-interested, consistent, cost-benefit based.

1-1819Without DeliberationWith DeliberationIn-output modelBehaviors controlled by environmentEmphasize human agencyMindful or cognitive processNot Empathizing: Internal judgmentsCognitive processInterpersonal relationships (Asch, 1951, Sherif, 1935)Empathizing:AttitudesPerceptionsMotivationsActors are mindless robotsActors are mindfulAssumptions of Human BehaviorsDecision-Making ModelsSocial Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986)Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991)Norm Activation Model (Schwartz, 1977)Social Norm Approach (Claidini,1994 and others)Prospect Theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979)To identify factors or in targeting behavioral change (intervention)1-20

Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986)

Human agency involves deliberative ability to make choices & regulate behaviorA triadic, dynamic, & reciprocal interaction.

BehaviorPersonal Factors (cognitive, affective, & biological events)Environmental Factors (norms)Theory of Planned Behavior(Icek Ajzen, 1991)1-22

Norm Activation Model (Schwartz, 1977) 1-23Social Psychological Factors and Energy BehaviorsWhy should you care?

Factors of Influencing Electricity SavingsDecision-making ModelsEvidence of Energy and BehaviorsDemand response, incentives and behavioral changes

Factors of Influencing Public Acceptance of Smart MetersIntervention (Norms, Goal-setting, Framing)8-6324Evidence: Social-psychological Factors of Energy Conservation in China Investigated how social norms, behavioral control, attitudes, energy concern, perceived consequences influence energy saving intention and behaviorSampled 584 employees from electricity companies in Jiangsu Province, ChinaBased on the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model.1-25Factors Predicting Energy Conservation Behaviors1-26

Results of Social-Psychological Factors on Electricity Saving Behaviors (241 UTK students)1-27Barriers to save electricity (-0.26) **Support of renewable (0.30) *Social rewards (0.03)Personal norms (0.34)*Energy concern (0.33) ** Global warming consequences(0.19)*Economic benefits (0.09) Electricity Saving Behaviors * P