An environmental assessment activity to promote active distance learning and challenge of personal lifestyles and values

This paper introduces a new distance learning course, 'Working with our Environment: Technology for a Sustainable Future'. An inter-disciplinary team within the Technology Faculty of the Open University developed this undergraduate course, which enrols over 1500 students per year. One of the overall aiims is to help students understand how the use of technology to meet human material needs contributes to environmental effects. The process of producing this course, its philosophy, aims and design will be briefly discussed. At the start of the course a lifestyle environmental assessment activity, called EcoCal, is intergrated within students’ study materials. The activity enables students to assess the main impacts on the environment arising from their own household’s consumption of energy, transport, food and water and production of waste. Through the use, either of a printed questionnaire or publicly available software, students can calculate their ‘Ecological Footprint’ and then consider and model the effects of changes to their lifestyle. Through the combination of undertaking this activity and submitting an appropriate assignment, students are encouraged to think critically and creatively about their impacts on the environment and how these might be reduced at both individual and societal levels. At the end of the course students were surveyed to explore whether their attitudes and behaviour had changed

Design Improvements from users’ experiences of low and zero carbon technologies

The development and rapid consumer adoption of low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies are key elements of UK and EU carbon reduction strategies to meet the challenge of climate change. Many LZC technologies are available, ranging from established energy efficiency products such as home insulation and energy-efficient lighting to more innovative renewable energy technologies, including solar thermal systems, micro-wind turbines, solar photovoltaics and biomass stoves. This paper examines key influences on consumer adoption – and non-adoption – of energy efficiency products and renewable energy systems based on the findings of a UK Open University project, which conducted some 111 in-depth telephone interviews plus an on-line survey with nearly 400 responses. The results show that it is important to research consumer requirements and use behaviours when developing ‘green’ technologies. Consumer adoption of LZC products and systems has been relatively slow and, even when installed, due to behavioural effects, they have not always reduced carbon emissions as much as expected. The results of this study of UK consumers’ experiences shows that improved designs are required to address barriers to LZC adoption and problems in use, including functionality, ergonomics, interconnectedness with other systems and symbolic value, as well as price and payback. Offering challenges for designers, engineers and managers, the paper identifies user-centred improvements to promote more rapid adoption and effective use of LZC technologies

Designing low and zero carbon products and systems: improvements based on consumers’ experience of adoption and use

The development and rapid consumer adoption of low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies are key elements of UK and EU carbon reduction strategies to meet the challenge of climate change. Many LZC technologies are available, ranging from established energy efficiency products such as home insulation and energy-efficient lighting to more innovative renewable energy systems, including solar thermal systems, micro-wind turbines, solar photovoltaics and biomass stoves and boilers. This paper examines key influences on consumer adoption – and non-adoption – of energy efficiency products and renewable energy systems based on the findings of a UK Open University project, which conducted some 90 in-depth telephone interviews plus an on-line survey with nearly 400 responses during 2006. The survey results show that it is important to research consumer requirements and use behaviours when developing ‘green’ technologies. Consumer adoption of LZC products and systems has been relatively slow and, even when installed, due to behavioural effects, they have not always reduced carbon emissions as much as expected. The results of this study of UK consumers’ experiences shows that improved designs are required to address barriers to LZC adoption and problems in use, including functionality, ergonomics, interconnectedness with other systems and symbolic value, as well as cost and payback. Offering challenges for designers and engineers and marketers, the paper identifies user-centred ideas and concepts to promote more rapid adoption and carbon-saving use of LZC technologies

Climate Change: the citizen's agenda Evidence to Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

i). This paper summarises some results of research by the Open University of the key influences on the adoption – and non-adoption – by mainly environmentally-concerned UK citizens of low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies. These include energy efficiency measures (such as loft insulation, condensing boilers and compact fluorescent lamps covered by the Energy Efficiency Commitment) and micro-generation energy technologies (such as solar water heating, photovoltaics and micro-wind turbines included in the DTI's Clear Skies scheme and Low Carbon Buildings Programme). The research also includes the benefits and problems experienced by the citizens who adopted these LZC technologies, plus ideas and policies for overcoming the barriers to their adoption and their effective use in reducing carbon emissions. The tables in the paper show that each LZC technology has different drivers, barriers, benefits and problems and hence ideas and policies for improvements, but there are some common factors that affect the different technologies. ii) The main driver for citizen adoption of LZC technologies is reducing fuel bills and/or saving energy in the context of rising fuel prices. Another key driver for adoption of LZC technologies is environmental concern (esp. climate change and nature conservation), at least for the mainly 'greener' citizens we surveyed. iii) The barriers to adoption vary widely depending on the technology concerned and go beyond the well-known financial issues. Examples of significant barriers to the adoption of energy efficiency measures include peoples' concerns about irritant fibres in loft insulation materials, needing to clear the loft, and loss of loft storage space when installing the recommended thickness of insulation; the reputation of condensing boilers among installers and consumers for unreliability and shorter life; and the size and perceived ugliness of compact fluorescent lamps, and a failure to communicate improvements in CFL design and technology since their introduction. However, even for environmentally concerned citizens, capital cost is a major barrier to adoption of micro-generation technologies, together with the uncertain performance and reliability of innovative technologies. iv) The benefits of insulation are reported (even by non fuel-poor citizens) largely in terms of warmer homes rather than in reduced energy consumption, i.e. the 'rebound effect' of insulation could be higher than the figure assumed for the Energy Efficiency Commitment. In contrast, improved heating controls when used properly and condensing boilers appear to have little rebound effect and so should help more directly to reduce carbon emissions. Energy efficient lighting appears to involve a relatively small rebound effect, as some users choose to leave CFLs switched on longer and/or may install additional CFL lighting. (v) The micro-generation technologies as well as reducing carbon emissions, offer citizens who can afford to install them (for whom grants were only a relatively minor driver) great pleasure in using renewable energy as well as focusing their attention on saving energy. vi) To encourage the widespread adoption and effective use of these LZC technologies requires different actions and policies tailored to the specific technologies: e.g. allowing use of eco-friendly materials in subsidised loft insulation schemes; designing and installing user-friendly controls that provide feedback on energy used or saved; energy companies offering financing packages to install micro-generation systems; and regulations and standards guaranteeing the performance, reliability and durability of micro-generation technologies

Who adopts microheating technologies?

Despite the increasing emphasis on the importance of microgeneration heat, such as solar thermal and biomass stoves, adoption by UK householders has been very slow. Surveys by the Open University and the Energy Saving Trust have examined the reasons why householders do and don’t install these technologies, exploring what can be done to encourage more widespread adoption

Designing low and zero carbon products and systems – adoption, effective use and innovation

This paper summarises the aims, methods and some results of a study of the influences on consumer adoption – and non-adoption – of established energy efficient and innovative renewable energy products and systems; the problems and benefits experienced by users of these low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies; and improvement ideas to make the products/systems more desirable and effective at saving energy and carbon. The influences on adoption and effective use vary for the different technologies and include the socio-economic context, consumer attitudes and values and communication sources. Product/system characteristics are also crucial, and include functional and ergonomic utility; interconnectedness with other systems, 'green' and aesthetic symbolism, and cost. Technical, financial and other ideas for reducing the barriers to adoption and tackling the problems experienced by users are a step towards a more rapid and effective take-up of these LZC products and systems

Environmental actions to reduce household ecological footprints

This paper presents the ideas of UK householders on how to reduce their Ecological Footprint (EF) after applying a tool called 'EcoCal', which assesses the environmental impacts of households by measuring footprints arising from Transport, Energy, Shopping, House and Garden, Water and Waste. Analysis of the EcoCal results of nearly 700 adult Open University (OU) student households showed that transport and energy impacts are the biggest contributors to the household footprint. Reducing these impacts poses the greatest challenge to achieving a globally sustainable household EF of approximately 0.5 hectares per person. Analysis of the ideas that the OU students were prepared to consider to reduce their household EF revealed a variety of technical and behavioural changes. However, in the context of their own household, the OU students identified several constraints on the implementation of their environmental action plans. Despite such constraints, many of the students instigated changes that helped to make their households more sustainable

People centred eco-design: consumer adoption of low and zero carbon products and systems

Literature review, research model and findings of exploratory empirical research on consumer adoption and effective use of low and zero carbon technologies ranging from a hybrid car to solar water heating systems

City approaches to smart city evaluation and reporting: case studies in the United Kingdom

Smart technologies create opportunities for urban development and regeneration, leading to a proliferation of projects/programmes designed to address city strategies around environmental, economic and social challenges. Whilst there is considerable critical debate on the merits of smart city developments, there has been surprisingly little research on the evaluation of smart interventions, and the outcomes of embedded smart technologies for cities and citizens. This examines case-study research undertaken in Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Milton Keynes and Peterborough, on city approaches to smart city evaluation and reporting. Findings exemplify contemporary city evaluation and reporting practices, challenges, and recommendations to support smart urban development

Getting warmer: a field trial of heat pumps

Given the lack of data on heat pump performance in customers’ homes, the Energy Saving Trust in partnership with the Open University undertook the first large-scale heat pump field trial in the UK to determine how heat pumps perform in real-life conditions. The year-long field trial monitored technical performance and customer behaviour observed at 83 sites across the UK. The findings provide valuable information about the factors that affect the success of a domestic heat pump installation. Instead of revealing outcomes along statistical grounds, or acting as a “brand-vs-brand” competition, the field trial findings provide a discussion of key points of interest to potential consumers, including: • Measured coefficient of performance (COP) and system efficiency • Installation practices (both system design and performance) • Customer behaviour (contribution by the Open University) • Heating patterns and average internal temperatures • Economics This report makes recommendations for consumers, installers, manufacturers and policy makers, and identifies areas that require additional investigation and research