Feedback seeking as an active, goal-oriented behavior – a psychological reframing of energy consumption feedback

In the last decade the upcoming of the new digital metering technology combined with communication and information technologies caused a new wave of research on feedback and energy efficiency. In difference to earlier feedback studies, several field trials with sample sizes of several hundred up to thousands of households have been initiated in the European context in parallel. High expectations have been sowed from reviews on existing feedback research. Rather surprisingly the results in energy savings caused by feedback systems incorporating smart metering technology turned out to drag behind the high expectations. This doctoral thesis intends to line out an existing blind spot within the energy feedback research by highlighting the notion of an active recipient pursuing own goals and develop own strategies what to do with feedback. Findings and modelling from feedback research of organizational and social psychology is transferred to energy feedback research and forms the framework of a series of studies analysing empirical data from two large one-years-trials with feedback based on smart metering technologies. Major attention is given to the general concepts introduced in the theoretical frameworks: 1) Do individuals set goals for feedback use? If they do so, how are they are linked with each other – is there empirical evidence for multiple goal profiles? 2) Are the different goals determining the feedback seeking behavior? 3) Is there any empirical evidence that individuals proactively seek feedback information in a web-based feedback system? Do goals for feedback use have any predictive power for the feedback seeking behavior? 4) What is the effect on consumption, if different feedback seeking behaviours are identified, what conclusions in relation to the theoretical framework can be made

Smart metering in Germany and Austria: Results of providing feedback information in a field trial

In this paper, we present the results from a field study on smart metering in Germany and Austria, focusing on the effects of providing feedback information on average electricity consumption. Econometric analyses are applied using a cross section of observations for more than 2000 households served by nine utilities. More than half of these households received feedback on their electric-ity consumption together with information about electricity saving measures (pi-lot group). The remaining households served as a control group. To evaluate the impact of feedback information, we econometrically estimated household electricity consumption. Explanatory variables include a wide range of socio-economic factors (income, education, age, household size, age composition, etc.) as well as the household appliance stock (large appliances, boiler, com-puters, TV, etc. ...). The results suggest that the feedback provided under the smart metering programme results in electricity savings of around 3.7%

Influence of User Behaviour on the Functioning and Performance of Passive Phase-Change Material Systems after More Than a Decade of Operation

Phase-change materials (PCM) in buildings are considered a promising option to prevent overheating in warm seasons. Numerous studies have shown a noticeable improvement in thermal comfort through PCM, but in real applications they have often underperformed. User behaviour is often neglected as an important factor in determining PCM performance and might be a limiting factor. Another factor could be time-dependent degradation, which has also been scarcely researched so far. We used simulations within two case studies to investigate whether the PCM applications, each of which had been in operation for more than ten years, were still functioning from a technical perspective and what influence user behaviour had on their performance. We found that the PCM applications still had a positive influence on the thermal performance of the rooms, although the effect due to behavioural optimizations was significantly greater. The PCM was able to reduce the time of discomfort by 9–45% in the baseline scenario with real documented user behaviour in both rooms. Improved user practices increased the reduction in discomfort to 33–52%. For future studies evaluating PCM and its use, we recommend considering realistic user habits, as implementing optimal behaviour could lead to an overestimation of PCM performance and dissatisfaction with the technology

Sozialwissenschaftliche Determinanten von Investitionsentscheidungen in erneuerbare Energietechnologien

In den Sozialwissenschaften gibt es verschiedene Theorien und Modelle zur Erklärung von Investitionsentscheidungen in innovative Technologien, wie erneuerbare Energien. Die vorliegende Überblickstudie fasst die sozialwissenschaftliche (psychologische und soziologische) Literatur zur Erklärung des Investitionsverhaltens von Akteuren zusammen. Sie dient als Grundlage für weitergehende empirische Arbeiten und diskutiert zudem auch Grenzen und Möglichkeiten der Integration sozialwissenschaftlicher Faktoren in Energiesystemmodelle

Gesellschaftliche Akzeptanzfragen bei der Umsetzung von Wasserstofftechnologien

Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, bis 2045 klimaneutral zu werden. Das kann nur funktionieren, wenn fossile Rohstoffe durch erneuerbare Energien ersetzt werden - insbesondere in den Bereichen Industrie und Verkehr. Ein wesentlicher Baustein in diesem Transformationsprozess ist die Errichtung einer Wasserstoffwirtschaft, innerhalb derer Strom aus erneuerbaren Energien in grünen Wasserstoff umgewandelt und dieser als Energieträger vor allem in den Bereichen Industrie und Verkehr angewendet wird

The Tip60/Ep400 chromatin remodeling complex impacts basic cellular functions in cranial neural crest-derived tissue during early orofacial development

AbstractThe cranial neural crest plays a fundamental role in orofacial development and morphogenesis. Accordingly, mutations with impact on the cranial neural crest and its development lead to orofacial malformations such as cleft lip and palate. As a pluripotent and dynamic cell population, the cranial neural crest undergoes vast transcriptional and epigenomic alterations throughout the formation of facial structures pointing to an essential role of factors regulating chromatin state or transcription levels. Using CRISPR/Cas9-guided genome editing and conditional mutagenesis in the mouse, we here show that inactivation of Kat5 or Ep400 as the two essential enzymatic subunits of the Tip60/Ep400 chromatin remodeling complex severely affects carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in cranial neural crest cells. The resulting decrease in protein synthesis, proliferation and survival leads to a drastic reduction of cranial neural crest cells early in fetal development and a loss of most facial structures in the absence of either protein. Following heterozygous loss of Kat5 in neural crest cells palatogenesis was impaired. These findings point to a decisive role of the Tip60/Ep400 chromatin remodeling complex in facial morphogenesis and lead us to conclude that the orofacial clefting observed in patients with heterozygous KAT5 missense mutations is at least in part due to disturbances in the cranial neural crest.</jats:p

Expertenempfehlung zum Masterplan Solarcity Berlin

EXPERTENEMPFEHLUNG ZUM MASTERPLAN SOLARCITY BERLIN Expertenempfehlung zum Masterplan Solarcity Berlin / Stryi-Hipp, Gerhard (Rights reserved) ( -

Bulletin der deutschen Slavistik 22.2016

Bulletin der deutschen Slavistik 22, 201