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Pitch

When using energy (most of time uncounsciouly), people do not realize that they are actually exploring resources of the natural enviroment.


Description

Summary

 

This study collected evidences from surveys that the connection between energy and the natural enviroment is unknown by most of people in the Brazilian society for several reasons (one of them is because the energy is mostly generated by hydro plants). However, the consumption is predicted to increase due to the economic development and the forecasted population growth, leading to new power plants constructions and usage of thermoelectric generation.

This study aims at promoting a new way of perceiving and relating to energy and the natural environment, leading to different patterns of behavior. The SEETree (Social Energy Eco-feedback Technology, applying the metaphor of a tree) is then a collective energy consumption monitor to educate people regarding the existing connection between energy and the natural environment in a social group.

It consists on a public interactive display and a physical installation (led-lights tree powered with solar energy) located in gathering areas to configure and represent results of energy-saving collective actions. The way the tree is lightened both physically and virtually represents achievements of a collective saving action.  Groups’ members have to discuss and agree about the ways of reductions before setting the challenge, and will check everyday their evolution reflected on their tree. The global result of all groups is represented as a healthy forest that contains some of the trees, and this area can be flooded accordinly to the challenges evolution.

When connected with a smart grid initiative, energy consumption measurements are collected automatically everyday. Otherwise, participants input their meter readings during the days of challenge.

www.arvoredaenergia.com.br: interactive software for challenges composion, still under construction. (use Google Chrome to access it).

http://www.facebook.com/ArvoreDaEnergia- reports of a preliminar experiment.

 


Category of the action

Changing public perceptions on climate change


What actions do you propose?

This actions has the main purpose of changing the way people perceive the energy consumption. It can be seen as a educational tool so.

It was evaluated by teachers and educator of an elementary school in an area of poverty in Brazil as an effective tool to engage students and to motivate a discussion in the households and community.


Who will take these actions?

This interactive installation can be used by any community leaders (teachers, for instance) that want to engage other people.


Where will these actions be taken?

Although it was formated to fit the Brazilian culture and scenario, it can be contextualized for different realities and also put on-line, with on-line images of real trees.

Other experiments are intended to be executed in different places. Currently, an adaption to the United Kindgon context has been evaluated.


How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?


What are other key benefits?

The main side benefit evidenced was the engagement of a community in an enviromental action.


What are the proposal’s costs?

This proposal is currently part of a PhD study. It is a low cost solution, requiring:

- led lamps: 100 US$

- solar powered batteries: 100 US$

- interactive display: 2000 US$

- automation kit: 500 U$S


Time line

This solution is already under development and a first real experiment was executed in the last weeks in Brazil. 

In one year, it could be expanded for an on-line approach, building also a more impressive tree based on a real one.


Related proposals


References

 

Piccolo, L.S.G., Scharl, A., Baranauskas, C. Design of Eco-Feedback Technology to Motivate Sustainable Behavior: Cultural Aspects in a Brazilian Context. Proc. of Conf-IRM (2012). International Conference on Information Resources Management. http://aisel.aisnet.org/confirm2012/34/

Piccolo, L.S.G. Baranauskas, M.C.C. Motivational Aspects in Energy Feedback Systems Design. Proc. of IHC+CLIHC ACM, (2011), 313-328.

Piccolo, L.S.G., Baranauskas, M.C.C. Energy, environment, and conscious consumption: making connections through design. In Proceedings of the 11th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC '12), SBC, Brazil (2012), 147-150.

Piccolo, L.S.G., Baranauskas, M.C.C. Basis and prospects of motivation informing design: requirements for situated eco-feedback technology. In Proceedings of the 11th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC '12). SBC, Brazil, 137-146.

Piccolo, L.S.G., Baranauskas, M.C.C. (2013) Climbing the Ladder with Energy: informing the design of Eco-Feedback Technology with a Social Approach. In Proceedings of The 14th International Conference on Informatics and Semiotics in Organisations (ICISO 2013). Springer-Verlack.

Piccolo, L.S.G.,Hornung, H., Baranauskas, M.C.C., Pereira, R. (2013) Designing to Promote a New Social Affordance for Energy Consumption. Proceedings of 12th IFIP Conference on e-Business, e-Services, e-Society. "Collaborative, trusted and privacy aware e/m-services". (I3E 2013).