Cross-cultural assessment of the effectiveness of eco-feedback in building energy conservation

Abstract

To reduce energy consumption in buildings, researchers have in the recent decade explored the potential of changing occupants’ energy consumption behaviors using eco-feedback technologies. Energy consumption behavior is a type of consumer behavior, which has been proven culture-specific in prior research. This paper aims to assess the impact of culture on the effectiveness of eco-feedback technologies in reshaping building occupants’ energy consumption behaviors, and to examine the mechanism of such impact. A total of 39 students from 10 different countries who shared four university dormitories were recruited in an experiment. A web-based eco-feedback system was developed in this study, and implemented in these dormitories. The eco-feedback system was responsible for sending weekly email reminders to students participating in the study and, upon their login, providing them with their detailed energy consumption data as well as those of their peers on a daily basis. Subsequent changes in the students’ energy consumption behaviors were analyzed, and correlated with their cultural background, which was assessed using a survey instrument designed based on Hofstede's cultural dimensions model. The experiment results showed that the mean and variance of changes in energy consumption, in response to the provision of eco-feedback information, differed significantly between participants from different countries. The results also showed that all cultural dimensions were statistically correlated to the effectiveness of the eco-feedback system, which explained how different aspects of culture could influence the energy consumption behaviors of building occupants. The results suggested that eco-feedback technologies should be tailored to specific cultural context to improve their effectiveness in building energy conservation.