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Energy conservation is about more than what happens to the buildings in which we live and work; it is also about what happens inside them as homeowners, renters and tenants of office and commercial space pursue their daily lives. By not directly addressing the energy consuming behavior of people within buildings, our energy conservation efforts are falling short of their potential impact. We can change that. For example, 25-50% of the electricity we use in our homes, offices and retail establishments is used by equipment, appliances and other devices that depend on a human being turning them on or off. Yet instead of pursuing an energy conservation strategy incorporating human behavior that is more energy efficient, we rely on advances in technology to incrementally close the gap. But we don’t have to wait. Changing people’s energy using behavior can save 5-15% in less than a year. People -- in your apartments, offices or commercial spaces -- can make a big difference in how much energy your building uses. NISE! has developed an energy conservation program that successfully engages large numbers of people in reducing their energy use to collectively have a big impact. NISE! does it by providing people with the tools and motivation they need to change their behavior: real-time information on the impact of their change, benefits that recognize their success and group support to maintain it.
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A NISE! Program for Increasing the Impact of Energy Conservation Strategies through Behavior Change
November 2012
Addressing the Human Factor in Energy Conservation
535 Albany Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02118 U.S.A. t. 617 266 0965
Date: 11.24.10 | Client: NISE | Project: Type Treatment Option: Treatment 2
NATIONALINSTITUTE FOR ASUSTAINABLEECONOMY
What We Now DoAs building owners, property managers and facilities managers, our approach to energy conservation has evolved as we have confronted higher costs, changing technology and greater demand for energy efficiency. Our first response was to decrease the severity of energy usage by reducing or eliminating some equipment and materials while increasing or adding others. Our next response was to further reduce energy use by automating the control of equipment and appliances. More recently our response has been to collect and process more accurate data on how much energy our buildings use and, in some cases, to share it in some form with those who use it.
What’s Been MissingIn general, these responses have concentrated on building structures -- how to make them more air-tight and improve their automation systems. However, energy conservation is about more than what happens to the buildings in which we live and work; it is also about what happens inside them as homeowners, renters and tenants of office and commercial space pursue their daily lives. By not directly addressing the energy consuming behavior of people within buildings, our energy conservation efforts are falling short of their potential impact.
We can change that. For example, 25-50% of the electricity we use in our homes, offices and retail establishments is used by equipment, appliances and other devices that depend on a human being turning them on or off. Yet instead of pursuing an energy conservation strategy incorporating human behavior that is more energy efficient, we rely on advances in technology to incrementally close the gap. But we don’t have to wait. Changing people’s energy using behavior can save 5-15% in less than a year.
People Have An Important Role to PlayPeople -- in your apartments, offices or commercial spaces -- can make a big difference in how much energy your building uses. NISE! has developed an energy conservation program that successfully engages large numbers of people in reducing their energy use to collectively have a big impact. NISE! does it by providing people with the tools and motivation they need to change their behavior: real-time information on the impact of their change, benefits that recognize their success and group support to maintain it.
Energy conservation is the wave of the future. Its an option today and a necessity tomorrow. What are you doing to be ahead of this wave?
What We Know
Energy conservation is good for people, planet…and profits!
The emission of C02 and other greenhouse gases into our atmosphere is changing our environment in ways that threaten our health, our well-being as a nation and the ecological life on our planet. Altering the current path we are on will require a massive change in how we generate energy and use it. Given the options available to us, energy conservation is our nation’s most effective strategy for reducing C02 emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere.
We also know that energy conservation is good business. Establishing your business as a conservation leader, not only saves money, and reduces your carbon footprint, but also strengthens your brand among your customers and stakeholders.
How It WorksMost current energy conservation programs incorporating behavior change simply focus on making people aware of their energy and water use and hope that this new awareness motivates them to use less. Our approach is to change behavior by empowering people to make changes that make a difference. They are empowered by providing them with: 1) a group of peers making changes together, 2) the means to know the impact they are having when they make changes and 3) direct benefits for reducing their energy use. As a result, the NISE! Conservation Program has four primary features:
■ A Feasibility Assessment that evaluates potential savings based on the existing characteristics of the buildings involved and the demographics of the people participating.
■ An Engagement Organization consisting of small groups of peers collaborating to reduce energy use in specific locations.
■ Information Technology that provides people with real-time, interactive and user-friendly information on how their group and others are performing.
■ Benefits primarily in the form of a rewards program that recognizes success when goals are achieved and maintained.
The NISE! Conservation Program can be tailored to the needs of residential and office tenants, preferably with the involvement of the people expected to participate in the program.
Feasibility Assessment. Our conservation program works best when:
■ Usage data generated by our system of sub-metering can provide small groups with information on their specific impact.
■ Bundles of high usage equipment, devices, etc., can be identified and targeted.
■ The current attitudes and practices of the people expected to participate are known.
The Feasibility Assessment that we conduct provides us with the information needed to determine if our program can be successfully implemented and, if so, how it is best tailored to the needs of each client.
Engagement Organization. Our conservation program is driven by the people who participate. From this group we select leaders who are trained to engage other participants with our support. Leaders organize the smaller groups whose members work together to reduce energy usage in their homes or offices and support each other in the process. Each group is provided with real-time information on the performance of their group and others. Competition among the groups is encouraged,
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How the NISE! Program Works and Who Benefits
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yet all groups can be recognized as star performers by achieving their target goals.
Information Technology. Data on energy usage are collected at the most granular level feasible and is provided to participants in an online, interactive dashboard in real-time. The dashboard presents the data in a variety of ways that make comparisons of group performance easy and transparent. It also tracks performance against baselines and budgets, and translates energy use into dollars saved and CO2 emissions reduced.
In addition, the dashboard incorporates social media and educational modules to further engage participants. It can also feature individuals and groups that perform well and highlight other program successes. The dashboard is accessed at the client’s branded website and through interactive kiosks (monitor displays) in high visibility areas.
Benefits. Participants in the conservation program are eligible to receive various benefits as they achieve target goals that advance the conservation program. They can achieve these goals as an individual, as part of a group or as a program leader. The benefits are administered through the NISE! Rewards Program that incorporates a point system similar to those used by some credit card companies. Participants earn points by:
■ Performing as a group leader.
■ Recruiting other participants.
■ Successfully completing educational modules on energy conservation and other areas of sustainability.
■ Achieving verifiable conservation targets and maintaining them over time.
■ Providing program feedback.
Points are redeemed for a variety of rewards provided by the client and program sponsors.
It’s A Win-Win for Everyone!People Win. Ordinary people -- your tenants, employees, or renters -- are the centerpiece of the NISE! Conservation Program, so we make them the primary recipient of benefits -- that they value -- as they make the program a success. People who are participants in the program help us decide what benefits are most valued. We then use their ideas to tailor a NISE! Rewards Program to provide the most motivation to actively engage them in your conservation program. We also offer a wide range of recognition, leadership and entrepreneurial opportunities that enhance engagement and promote program success.
You Win. Those who are responsible for managing operating costs, promoting sustainability or enhancing your brand also win. If you are a:
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■ Property Owner, Facilities Manager or Large Tenant the NISE! Conservation Program can expand your own conservation strategy to produce an additional 5-15% of additional savings. It can also bridge the gap between those who control the use of energy, yet do not pay the utility bill, and those that do. Our program benefits both while reducing overall costs.
■ Sustainability Administrator for a large educational institution, business or government agency, the NISE! Conservation Program can add a new, pioneering dimension to your existing sustainability efforts. Beyond the savings it can generate, the program can also be a unique catalyst for reducing your organization’s carbon footprint through civic engagement on a large scale. Such an initiative would also include valuable opportunities for participants to gain leadership training and project management experience. For student participants, it could have the added benefit of opportunities for academic credit, internships and useful professional work experience.
■ Business Executive, Educational Leader or Senior Government Official the NISE! Conservation Program represents a cutting edge approach to sustainability in general and energy conservation in particular. Implementing the program in your business, educational institution or agency can help to enhance your organization’s reputation and strengthen its brand.
Whatever your priority is -- saving money, reducing your carbon footprint, enhancing your reputation or all of the above -- the NISE! Conservation Program can help you meet it.
NISE! Wins. NISE! is a for-profit business whose mission embraces pursuit of a triple bottom line that balances the interests of people, planet and profit. Our objective is to translate some of our nation’s urgent social and environmental problems -- in this case our excessive use of energy -- into business solutions that help improve the
human condition, preserve our environment and promote prosperity for NISE!, its business partners and its clients. We do this by developing products and services that represent innovative approaches and new business models that serve our client’s needs. The NISE! Conservation Program is a leading edge approach to energy conservation that supports our mission and our clients’ needs as well.
For More InformationNISE! welcomes the opportunity to explain its Energy Conservation Program in more detail. To learn more, please contact Edward Dugger III, President of NISE!, at [email protected] or 617-500-6651.
www.linkedin.com/in/edwardduggeriii
http://about.me/eduggeriii
Enhanced Reputation
Reduced CO2 Footprint
$Savings
Webwww.usnise.comTwitterhttp://twitter.com/usnise
Main Office PO Box 301217Boston, MA 02130617-500-6651
Winner of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center 2010 Innovation Grant for Energy Efficiency in Residential Homes
535 Albany Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02118 U.S.A. t. 617 266 0965
Date: 11.24.10 | Client: NISE | Project: Type Treatment Option: Treatment 2
NATIONALINSTITUTE FOR ASUSTAINABLEECONOMY
