Abstract
Reductions in end-use energy imply some level of technological and behavioural change — yet there are marked differences in the balance between them. Moreover, the ways in which these influences can combine and mutually shape each other are complex, especially where multiple users interact within the same environment. A socio-technical perspective has gradually become more popular in building energy research in recent years, as it widens the focus beyond technology to include practices, infrastructure, markets, policies, social norms, and cultural meanings; however, there is very little knowledge on how this interplay works — particularly in a non-domestic environment. In this paper, we attempt to enhance the understanding of ‘social ordering of choices, problems and practice’ (Guy & Shove, 2000, p. 139) within a retail environment — and how these are competing when it comes to decisions about energy consumption. Using a longitudinal multi-methodological case study approach, this paper aims to explicate the socio-technical context within which energy consumption is considered by various actors in a large supermarket given that these actors have other behaviours (e.g. convenience, profit) as a priority and that the retail environment is agency constrained (i.e. shoppers, employees can hardly do anything individually to affect energy consumption). Using mixed-reality platform, we visualised socio-technical interactions, thus also visualising the decisions on where energy efficiency interventions could be made, what needs to be considered, and how this differs from different perspectives. Priorities that often remain ‘unspoken’ become visible — and thus provide a powerful foundation for the discussion about the consequences of an intervention there and then thus reduce the complexity of discussions and keeping crucial information available during the entire discussion process.
Highlights
Reductions in end-use energy demand can be achieved in several ways: by improving the efficiency of existing energy-using devices and passive systems; by replacing existing devices or passive systems with radically new ones; by shifting towards lower-energy behavioural practices; through reducing demand for particular energy services; or by developing entirely1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)new socio-technical systems that use less energy
Using a longitudinal multi-methodological case study approach, this paper aims to explicate the sociotechnical context within which energy consumption is considered by various actors in a large supermarket given that these actors have other behaviours as a priority and that the retail environment is agency constrained
The longitudinal approach was designed in order to engage with a wide range of actors that directly or indirectly impact energy consumption in a large supermarket and to design a mixed reality design platform (MRDP, described later ) that represents this agent-constrained environment and allows to trace how decisions are made and tradeoffs achieved when it comes to competing priorities and agendas
Summary
New socio-technical systems that use less energy. Whilst all these options imply some level of technological and behavioural changes, there are marked differences in the balance between them (Geels et al, 2015). Whilst it is agreed that the interplay between technology and energy behaviour exists, there is very little knowledge on how this interplay works — in a non-domestic environment. To address this gap, we attempt to enhance the understanding of ‘social ordering of choices, problems and practice’
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have