Areas of Work

Kaylor Davis, Samantha Ehrle, Larissa Pokam, Gabriella Sanchez - An NSF CCIC Proposal, 2017-2018 by Smart Energy Connex Students

Industry partner:Sabra Mannan VP American Express Technologies Problem. In 2003, public and private sector combined established GRID 2030, a national vision to revolutionize electric power. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the electricity industry invested $9B in efforts to connect many of the 131+ million electricity customers to affordable and reliable electric power. Unfortunately, these efforts missed a key factor: engaging and educating customers to drive the change. In 2013, the European Environment Agency (EEA) reported the potential for energy savings due to measures targeting behavior could be as high as 20%.

However, without an intervention based on behavioral science research, failure to understand the influence of consumer education on energy consumptions will continue to impede a successful integration of cost effective, energy efficient, and sustainable technologies into the energy grid. Solution: The EEA has developed a behavioral framework to analyze human interaction with new energy technologies. Of the four dimensions they use to describe this interaction, two are most relevant: constraints: factors that impede initiatives, such as the inability to retrieve useful information comfort/convenience: how easily these initiatives can be implemented into consumers lives

Previous measurement efforts used by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) inform our measurement of impacts and benefits. We will leverage a model that evaluates social marketing strategies and establishes key performance indicators. Core aspects of evaluating outcomes include engagement and results. It is evident that social media is a formidable force for change. Representing 12% of the population, female millennials have the potential to serve as a catalyst for a smarter energy movement. This is a group with passionate influence to make a difference, and consistently show greater interest in environmental impacts than their male counterparts. Impact/Benefits: The electricity sector accounts for $800B of the annual U.S. economy. Existing ARRA investments have readied the workforce, advanced cybersecurity, and modeled the necessary steps for optimizing grid functionality and efficiency. The response of SEnergy Connex to a national initiative to achieve sustained reductions in energy consumption will further the already well-established societal impacts and benefits. 90-second video I’d be delighted to share the required 90-second video the group produced.