The Influence of Young People on Household Decisions on Energy Efficiency

Young people are the future members of the energy communities and form part of a climate-responsible society already now. However, in the context of the geopolitical and economic events of 2022, the awareness of young people in Latvia about energy efficiency issues and the readiness to engage in climate change mitigation processes, as well as the influence of their attitude on the decisions of adult household members in the field of energy efficiency have not been sufficiently studied. The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge of Latvian youth about energy efficiency issues, associations about a climate-responsible society, attitudes towards daily habits in the field of energy efficiency, as well as whether climate change issues are also discussed in young people’s families and whether young people believe that they can influence the family’s opinion or habits. 71 participants participated in the study, and the methods used are group questionnaires and interviews. The results of the research show that young people in the regions of Latvia are well aware of measures of energy efficiency, and the answers provide an insight into the various experiences they have had in their households. More than half of the research participants between the ages of 14 and 19 are aware of the amount of utility expenses and discuss with their relatives the possibilities of saving energy resources. The research also highlighted negative aspects, for example, concerning to reducing the level of household comfort in the name of climate change, young people are not strongly supporting – only a little more than half would be willing to live in cooler rooms. Young people believe that they can influence the attitude and behaviour of other household members in matters of energy resource management. The results of the study lead to the conclusion that more attention should be paid to messages dedicated to young people in public space, so that they associate themselves more as an existing or future part of the energy community, and they should be given the opportunity to set an example and explain why their actions are important to reduce climate change. The results obtained in the study can potentially contribute to the development of the digital tool designed within the RTU project ‘BRIDGE’ to promote the development of energy communities

Multiplayer game for decision-making in energy communities

Energy communities are widely studied from various perspectives, especially in the context of geopolitical events of recent years, when humanity is faced with the need for urgent solutions to promote climate change and alleviate the crisis of energy resources. Although citizens' interest in the use of renewable resources has gradually grown, energy policy support measures for more active participation of society in the implementation of energy efficiency measures are still being implemented with variable success, especially through mutual agreement. Serious games are a rapidly growing tool for awareness and collaboration on a single platform for gamers seeking solutions to energy resource optimization issues. The paper focuses on energy community versus energy use practices, trends, and intervention strategies in multifamily residential blocks, using serious gaming and direct user online feedback. This study uses a multi-player simulation tool to enable the modelling of scenarios for energy efficiency measures for apartment building block residents and energy community target goals for decision-making decisions. User experience and game mechanics were tested on a pre-selected group. The results indicate positive feedback, including a practical application for both energy community and professionals, and provide valuable recommendations for further research and improvement of the tool

The tango between the academic and business sectors: Use of co-management approach for the development of green innovation

This study explores a co-management approach to prepare future environmental engineers for green innovation and commercialisation by improving cooperation between academia and industry. Collaboration between academia, government, agencies, and industry is a top priority due to the significant impact of the availability of qualified environmental professionals on the economy. The potential for collaboration among parties with different interests and principles remains largely unexplored. Compared to tango dance, the paper discusses the co-management approach, combining two disciplines with other goals and expectations. The methodology adapts brainstorming for studying environmental engineering to improve students' competencies and diversify study methods. Studying classical idea co-creation approaches in higher education, evaluating their results, and analysing stakeholders’ opinions - involving 65 students, six industry and government representatives, and 14 lecturers. This study identified crucial factors that form a model for successful collaboration between academia and industry to train environmental science specialists and develop green innovations. These factors include party participation activity, the definition of primary evaluation criterion, and student motivation. The study concludes that the co-management approach could enhance competence education quality by promoting skill diversification and teamwork and providing greater motivation to work