Kajsa Ellegard Energy Cultures Conference 2016 Keynote “On the success of energy conservation in the household sector– a matter of daily activities at individual, household and aggregate levels“

1. On the success of energy conservation
in the household sector
- a matter of daily activities at individual, household and aggregate levels
Kajsa Ellegård
Technology and social change
Linköping University
Sweden
Energy Cultures Conference
July 6, 2016

2. Contents
1. Policy measures to reduce energy use in the household
sector
2. Points of departure
2.1 The importance of time
2.2 Energy consumption in households
2.3 From individual to aggregate level without losing information
3. Energy use in the household sector – a time and activity
perspective
3.1 Energy policy implications from the use of the home
3.2 Energy orders and limited possibilities to realize the theoretical
opportunities to reduce energy use
3.3 Model of energy use based on activity data
3.4 Multilevel visualization of activity patterns and energy use in the
household sector
4. Conclusions for policy and information campaigns on energy
savings in the household sector

3. ”The scientific perspectives”
Drawing by C E Wegmann (1930), philosopher
and geologist.
Think of energy research in this way: there are many experts
…on energy sources: renewables (solar, wave,
wind, water, bio), fossil (oil, coal, gas) nuclear;
…on energy transformation: different kinds of power
generation facilities;
…on energy distribution: electricity grid, district
heating, district cooling, fuels
- each one with deep knowledge about energy
issues in their field.
There are few experts on how energy is used
in order to create a sustainable everyday life as a whole:
Knowledge lacks about the energy use in the
complex household sector.
Implications of this for policy measures directed to households?

4. 1. Policy measures to reduce
energy use

5. Basics about Energy use in Sweden
Energy consumption per sector
Industry sector: 40%
Transportation sector: 23 %
Household and service sector: 38% (in 2013 was 143 TWh of which
55% was used for heating and hot water)
The total electricity consumption in the household and service sector was 70
TWh (in 2013 ) of which over 30% was used for electric appliances (23 TWh).

6. Policy measures used to promote energy
conservation and energy efficiency
• Legal restrictions and regulations (requirements to use low energy lamps; and
maximum energy use per m2 in buildings)
• Economic incentives (subsidies on renewable energy; taxes on fossil fuels)
• Information (free energy advice to citizens and SMEs; infomration campaigns)
Laws and regulations must be followed.
But economic arguments are not always percieved as valid in households – there
are constraints hindering people to act as the ”economic man”.
Information is not always percieved as relevant as by the household member
recieving it.
How can information measures be developed so they better target the great
individual variety in the household sector?

7. The sector actors are driven by different
logics
Commercial sector actors should be driven by economic arguments – it
is the base for business. Therefore economic policy measures ought to
be suitable for making their products and operations more energy
efficient.
Household sector actors are driven by the will to live a comfortable and
good everyday life. Economy is a part of it but not the the main driver.
Therefore households are not always as responsive to economic
incentives as policy makers imagine:
Even when information and economic measures make people aware of
the importance to reduce energy use, the message often fails to make
household members act accordingly.

8. Timing, location and couplings
It is important to focus on several household members daily activities
at the same time
because
- the mere context (other activities and other individuals) in which the activities
are performed might constrain household members’ ability to reduce energy
use.
Therefore, timing, location and couplings between activitities and
individuals are important.
This is the focus of my presentation.

9. 2. Points of departure

10. 2.1 The importance of time

11. How can we take into account what matters for
people in their everyday life and which also is
good for the environment?
Torsten Hägerstrand, who developed the time-geographic approach that I
am working with, wrote:
‘‘. . . that it is very easy to dream up blue-prints for new
undertakings but very hard to imagine their fate and their
consequences for other legitimate processes when put into practice.…

12. How can we take into account what matters for
people in their everyday life and which also is
good for the environment?
Torsten Hägerstrand, who developed the time-geographic approach that I
am working with, wrote:
‘‘. . . that it is very easy to dream up blue-prints for new
undertakings but very hard to imagine their fate and their
consequences for other legitimate processes when put into practice.
Perhaps the trouble is that thought does not encounter in its own
world the constraints of space and time.’’ (Hägerstrand, 1976, Geography and the
study of interaction between nature and society. Geoforum 7, p 334.)
Time and space are the main grounds for several constraints on energy
conservation in people’s everyday life.

13. We assume that time exists
But we do not know.
However, time is a useful instrument for understanding and explaining phenomena
in society. So, in time-geography the assumptions are that
- Time has a direction and a constant pace (at least at the level of the
experience of people)
- Since time is continous, time in itself cannot be compressed, saved or
omitted
- Everyone and everything has the same amount of time every day (24
hours)
- Every action has to be taken now
- Now is the continuous transformation of the future into the past

14. Future
Now
Past
Time
Time as process
14

15. Actors are influenced by timing
Commercial housing companies are familiar with the energy efficient
technology they install in their apartments.
Household members moving into an apartment meet a technology in
their apartment which is new to them and installed by the housing
company.
As a consequence, misunderstandings may appear on how to use the
technology in an energy efficient way – there is a knowledge time gap
betewen the company and the household members.

16. Idea about a technological
solution for energy savings
in a housing company
Development of
the idea in
the housing
company
Tenants meet the technology for the first time
Time
Knowledge time gap
The technology
seems to work
decision about
implementation
Implementing
the technology
now
There is a knowledge time gap between
housing companies and tenants

17. Idea about a technological
solution for energy savings
in a housing company
Development of
the idea in
the housing
company
Tenants meet the technology for the first time
Time
Knowledge time gap
Risk for
disappointment
in the company
due to failures
in implemen-
tation
The new and energy efficient technology
does not work according to the plans of the developers
Tenants’ experiences, habits and
interests influence their understanding
of the technology.
Involving tenats in the implementation
of the new technology might soften
the clash between the habits/interest/
experiences and the new technology
– and reduce the negative effects of the
knowledge time gap.
The tenants who do not use a new
technology successfully the first time
they use it are not stupid!
The technology
seems to work
decision about
implementation
Implementing
the technology
There is a knowledge time gap between
housing companies and tenants

18. 2.2 Energy consumption in
households

19. Things insufficiently considered in
information campaigns
- the same message does not fit everybody. People value things
differently and perform different activities.
- information campaigns are directed towards individuals and do
not take into consideration that most individuals actually live
together in households, ignoring the social and organizational
character of peoples’ use of energy in everyday life
- the information is delivered together with the bill to the person in
the billing register, who might not be the one performing most
energy consuming activities in the home
- the bill arrives once a month – electricity is used instantly, so
the feedback is not synchronized with use

20. Social drivers behind energy use in
households are not focussed
Some of them can be understood from different ways to use electric appliances:
- Collective use: appliances are used together by two or more individuals
- Individual use: appliances are used in an individualized way

21. Many channels and opportunities in the supply of news
and entertainment open for conflicts in the homes about
what to be watched on the TV.
The result is reduced collective, simultaneaous use of
appliances ….
(Källa: Anna Green)
time
Two individuals,
one appliance

22. Many channels and opportunities open for conflicts in the homesabout what to be
watched on the TV. The result is reduced collective use of appliances ….
….while the individual use increases. More appliances are bought
which demand more electricity.
(Källa: Anna Green)
time time
time
One individual,
one appliance
One individual,
one appliance
Two individuals,
one appliance

23. We are now in the era of the cyber-fire place.
Appliances for communication are used by people located at different places,
which calls for increased individual use, of appliances, servers and internet
connections. Everybody ”needs” her/his personal appliance (cell phone,
tablet, computer, TV, music machine and so on).
Electricity use increases even more.
(Källa: Anna Green)
time
time
Two individuals,
two appliances
One individual,
two appliances

24. Developments
EUs’ ecodesign directive (hard policies) has resulted in
- Reduction of the energy consumption of new appliances – fine
- Reduction on energy consumption from low energy lamps – fine
But the total energy use from ICT appliances in households increase because
of the increasing numbers and more frequent use. The individualization of
appliances plays a decisive role in this development.
What knowledge is needed to reduce energy use in the household sector?
I think that we need knowledge concerning people’s daily life, regarded as a
meaningful sequence of activities.

25. 2.3 From individual to aggregate level
without losing information

26. About activities and energy in everyday life
People want to live a good life.
They perform activities to achieve the goals of the projects of importance to
them
For doing so they need resources and energy is an important resource.
Consequently energy is not important in itself, it is important since it makes
it possible to use various appliances for different purposes
Activities take time to perform, they are performed somewhere and must be
integrated with activities in several projects and adjusted to other
individuals.
The activities in one project must be performed in an order that does not
hinder the achievement of the goals of other projects.

27. Energy use in everyday life at various levels of
aggregation
The just said implies that activities are performed in a sequence that is
meaningful to the individual.
I will show how activity sequences may be described and analyzed at
• individual level
and
• aggregate level
The activities in the sequences can be used for modelling individuals’
(and households’) electricity use

28. Visualization of an individual level activity
sequence based on 3 activity types
hour
24.00
00.00
12.00
breakfast
coffee
lunch
coffee
dinner
coffee
A sequence of daily activities
Other activities
Meals
Sleep

29. The basic sequence of sleep
and other activities of one indi-
vidual in the course of one day.
Visualization of an activity sequence of one individual
The same basic sequence for 27 individuals in a group.
Variations appear during the day among the individuals.

30. The basic sequence of sleep
and other activities of one indi-
vidual in the course of one day.
The same basic sequence for 27 individuals in a group.
Variations appear during the day among the individuals.
Visualization of an activity sequence of one individual and of many individuals (aggregate level)

31. Data about activities are collected from time-
diaries
The diaries contain information about
- time of the day, when
- what acitivity was performed
- where it was performed
- together whith whom it was performed
We use time-diaries from own case studies and from the national time-
use surveys performed by Statistics Sweden.

32. The aggregate activity pattern (based on the activity sequences of all individuals) in the population (N=463) during a weekday day.
Time
85+ Men 10 85+ Women 10 /age and gender
Care for oneself
Care for others
Household care
Reflection/recreation
Travel
Procure & prepare food
Employed work/school
Example of aggregate activity
pattern from time-diary data
in the Swedish pilot
time-use survey from 1996
463 individuals in
179 households
Age span: 10-99 years

33. 3. Energy use in the household
sector from a time use and
activity perspective

34. 3.1 Energy policy implications from
the use of the home

35. Heating and hot water 55% of energy use in
households
Information campaigns promote households installing thermostats for
lower temperature when nobody is at home.
On average, individuals spend about 65% of the weekdays and 75% of
their weekend days in their home.
When are the homes empty?

36. 85+ Men 10 85+ Women 10
In the home
Away from home
Individuals’ time spent in the home (blue) and away from home (grey) on weekdays 1996

37. Time
a b c
Home, available 24 h/day
Time in the home, household member 1
Time in the home, household member 2
Household member out of the home
But are the household members away from home at the same time?
There are three principle ways to spend time in the home in a two person
household:
The home is probably empty according to principle c to a higher extent than principles a and b.
- and, of course, the timing of the time in the home might vary from day to day.

38. Knowledge about variations in household
members being in the home is relevant
for households who think of investing in thermostats.
Also, if a household is interested in moving into a low energy house the
time spent in the home is vital because its heating depends on peoples’
being in the house and their activities.
Thereby, such knowledge is important in relation to the success of the
policies at national and international levels.

39. 3.2 Energy orders and limited
possibilities to realize the theoretical
opportunities to reduce energy use

40. Energy order – activities related to energy
consuming appliances in household members’
activity sequences
Appliances which consume energy are needed when performing
activities in order to realize household projects.
Therefore household projects aiming at
- Dinner for the family
- Clean clothes for the family
- Recreation/reflection activities
give rise to energy consumption.
Activities related to these projects are embedded in the individual
household members’ activity sequences and which consitute the
household’s energy orders
Source: Karresand (2014) Appliances, activities and actors: Low energy housing - resources
and restrictions for energy orders. Linköping University. Diss.

41. 17:30
17:45
18:00
18:15
18:30
18:45
19:00
19:15
17:15
17:00
19:30
19:45
Time
Activity sequence for
the parents and a child
in a household
Parent 1
Prepare cooking
Prepare ragu
Eat dinner
Defrost meat
Prepare ingredients
Cook pasta
Lay table
Start washing
machine
Put child to bed
Reading
Send e-mail
Watch TV
Start tumble dryer
Clean up after dinner
Start dishwasher
Play TV-games
Eat dinner
Look for information
on the internet
Watch TV/surf the
internet
Put away things
Surf the internet
Parent 2
Eat dinner
Play TV-games
Watch TV
Brush teeth and
bedtime story
Sleep
Watch TV
Play on the tablet
Child

42. 17:30
17:45
18:00
18:15
18:30
18:45
19:00
19:15
17:15
17:00
19:30
19:45
Time
Electricity
Microwave
Stove
Foodprocessor
Fridge/freezer
Project activities for
Dinner Parent 1 performs
cooking activities for
the whole family
Prepare cooking
Prepare ragu
Eat dinner
Defrost meat
Prepare ingredients
Cook pasta
Lay table
Start washing
machine
Put child to bed
Reading
Send e-mail
Watch TV
Start tumble dryer

43. 17:30
17:45
18:00
18:15
18:30
18:45
19:00
19:15
17:15
17:00
19:30
19:45
Time
Electricity
Microwave
Stove
Foodprocessor
Fridge/freezer
Washingmachine
Tumbledryer
Project activities for
Dinner
Clean clothes
Parent 1 performs
washing activities
for the whole family
Prepare cooking
Prepare ragu
Eat dinner
Defrost meat
Prepare ingredients
Cook pasta
Lay table
Start washing
machine
Put child to bed
Reading
Send e-mail
Watch TV
Start tumble dryer

44. 17:30
17:45
18:00
18:15
18:30
18:45
19:00
19:15
17:15
17:00
19:30
19:45
Time
Parent 1
Electricity
Microwave
Stove
Foodprocessor
Fridge/freezer
TV
Computer
Internet
Washingmachine
Tumbledryer
Prepare cooking
Prepare ragu
Eat dinner
Defrost meat
Prepare ingredients
Cook pasta
Lay table
Start tumble dryer
Start washing
machine
Put child to bed
Reading
Send e-mail
Watch TV
Project activities for
Dinner
Clean clothes
Raising child
Recreation/reflection

45. 17:30
17:45
18:00
18:15
18:30
18:45
19:00
19:15
17:15
17:00
19:30
19:45
Time
Parent 1
Electricity
Microwave
Stove
Foodprocessor
Fridge/freezer
Dishwasher
TV
Comoputer
Internet
Washingmachine
Tumbledryer
Gameconsole
Tablet
Prepare cooking
Prepare ragu
Eat dinner
Defrost meat
Prepare ingredients
Cook pasta
Lay table
Start tumble dryer
Start washing
machine
Put child to bed
Reading
Send e-mail
Watch TV
Clean up after dinner
Start dishwasher
Play TV-games
Eat dinner
Look for information
on the internet
Watch TV/surf the
internet
Put away things
Surf the internet
Parent 2
Project activities for
Dinner
Clean clothes
Raising child
Recreation/reflection
Collective use

46. 17:30
17:45
18:00
18:15
18:30
18:45
19:00
19:15
17:15
17:00
19:30
19:45
Time
Parent 1
Electricity
Microwave
Stove
Foodprocessor
Fridge/freezer
Dishwasher
TV
Comoputer
Internet
Washingmachine
Tumbledryer
Gameconsole
Tablet
Prepare cooking
Prepare ragu
Eat dinner
Defrost meat
Prepare ingredients
Cook pasta
Lay table
Start tumble dryer
Start washing
machine
Put child to bed
Reading
Send e-mail
Watch TV
Clean up after dinner
Start dishwasher
Play TV-games
Eat dinner
Look for information
on the internet
Watch TV/surf the
internet
Put away things
Surf the internet
Parent 2
Eat dinner
Play TV-games
Watch TV
Brush teeth and
bedtime story
Sleep
Watch TV
Play on the tablet
Child
Project activities for
Dinner
Clean clothes
Raising child
Recreation/reflection
Collective use

47. This shows the importance of couplings,
timing and sequential order of activities
• The division of labour between individuals regarding the activities in a
project depends on the capacity and ability of the individuals
involved. The performer must know what to do and how to do it.
• It also depends on the individual’s couplings to and involvment in
other projects
• For example, ”authoritative projects” (like employed work during
certain time period) constrain what opportunities two individuals in a
household have for sharing the activities in the realization of a project

48. B R
hrs
1200
0800
1600
Two individuals
B and R
A project with four different
activities that have to be performed
with a specific timing in a certain sequential order
Individuals and activities in a project to be performed

49. hrs
1200
0800
1600
There are many possiblities, in principle, to
share these activities in a project between
two household members
Four different activities must be performed in a given
sequence at specific times in the course of a day.
The visualization shows how the four different activities
in a project can be shared between the two household members.
B R B R B R
hrs
1200
0800
1600
B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R

50. hrs
1200
0800
1600
hrs
1200
0800
1600
What happens if the R individual has to be at work
from 10:00 to 13:00 during the afternoon?
B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R

51. hrs
1200
0800
1600
…then most of the possibilities to share
the activities in the project get lost…
B R B R B RB R

52. Energy use: time and timing of daily activities
• By taking time and timing into consideration we can gain an understanding of the
influence of activity sequences and couplings in everyday life which reveal that
daily life is more complex from an energy use perspective than it might seem at a
first glance
• When considering time and timing deeper analyses can be made of the various
projects in which activities appear in daily life at individual and household levels
• Time and timing ground for developing new and more precise concepts that
integrate the important couplings that highly influence daily life.
• Analyses considering time and timing might be helpful in formulating policies that
encourage people to take own actions in the strivings to reduce energy use.
People can recognize their own daily life in such information.
Finally, I will show how knowledge about daily activities can be used to calculate
energy use of people as individuals, household members and at aggregate level.

53. 3.3 Model of energy use based on
individual activity data from time-diaries
Household energy use is measured by energy companies for billing purposes.
But they do not know what people do and what appliances they use.
Therefore, it is difficult both to give energy advice that at the same time is
general and customized.
Measuring electricity use per appliance is very expensive
Modelling electricity use from peoples’ activities and appliances related to
these activities is an alternative way to increase knowledge about household
sector energy use.

54. Power
Time
Pmax
Activity
Δtmax
Power
Time
Activity Pmax
Scheme (a) a constant power Pmax is demanded during use
(a) (b)
Energy is consumed at the same time as the activity is performed
54

55. Power
Time
Pmax
Activity
Δtmax
Power
Time
Activity Pmax
Scheme (a) a constant power Pmax is demanded during use
Scheme (b) the power demand starts after the activity is
finished and goes on until a limiting time Δtmax has elapsed.
(a) (b)
or after an activity is completed
55
Energy is consumed at the same time as the activity is performed

56. 3.4 Multilevel visualization of activity patterns
and energy use in the household sector
- Division of labor in a household – energy use implications
- Aggregate level energy use based on individuals’ daily activities

57. Division of labor in a household – energy
use implications
• Household member specialization in activities in household projects
Example from a
• Household with small children
• Father works full time
• Mother works part time

58. TV, computer, radio
Appliances for
laundry and cleaning
Kitchen appliances
Legend:
Example of consequences from
specialization on electricity use
in the home
(time-diaries from the Swedish 1996 time-use pilot)
Man Woman
activities
Man’selec-
tricityuse
Woman’s
Electricity use
Parents’ total
Electricity use
Knowledge of this kind has relevance for policymakers
since it indicates which individual in the household
to approach with information on reducing electricity
consumption in energy information campaigns.

59. Aggregate level energy use based on
individuals’ daily activities
Diary data from the Swedish time-use survey 2010/11 as base for
modelling electricity use
3244 individuals wrote 1 weekday and 1 weekend day diary each about
their activities

60. Aggregate activity pattern on weekdays,
3244 diaries, individuals 15-84 years old
Hrs
12
04
04
16
22
Men Women
Age 85 15 85 15
Care for oneself
Care for others
Household care
Reflection/recreation
Travel
Procure & prepare food
Employed work/school
Age 85 1 85 1
Men Women
Age 85 15 85 15
Weekend days, 3233 diaries, individuals 15-84 years old
Hrs
12
04
04
16
22
Data from
Statistics Sweden
Time-use survey
2010/2011

61. All peak
ca 75W
Women peak
ca 90 W
Men peak
ca 60W
All peak
ca 80 W
Women peak
ca 90 W
Men peak
ca 70 W
Cooking
Ironing
Television
Computer
Age 85 15 85 15
Hrs
12
04
04
16
22
Men Women
Age 85 15 85 15
Hrs
12
04
04
16
22
Men Women
Staying at home,
weekdays 2010/11
Staying at home,
weekend days
2010/11
Electricity use for some
activities (max W/ind 10 min)

62. Women peak
ca 80W
All peak
ca 65W
Men peak
ca 55W
Age 85 15 85 15
Age 85 15 85 15
Hrs
12
04
04
16
22
Men Women
Men Women
Cooking activities
Eating activities, weekdays
and electricity use
for cooking, weekdays
W/ind and 10 min
Hrs
12
04
04
16
22

63. Households energy use for travel
All transport activities, commercial and private transportation, are reported in the same
category in the statistics.
Thereby, the entire household energy use is not included in the 143 TWh used by the
household and service sector according to the Swedish national statistics on energy.
However, in the time-use surveys travel activities are included
Mattias Hellgren (2015) clustered the activity sequences of the individuals according to
similarities according when, for how long and by what means of transportation the
individual diaries revealed.
Five clusters of travel activity patterns

64. Cluster A: 835 individuals
Travels with short duration
and various transportation means
Hellgren (2015)

65. Cluster B: 1013 individuals
Travels with a little longer
duration, dominated by car
Hellgren (2015)

66. Cluster C: 593 individuals
Travels with longer duration
dominated by public transport
and walking
Hellgren (2015)

67. Cluster D: 660 individuals
Travel with longer duration
dominated by car
Hellgren (2015)

68. Cluster E: 143 individuals
Travels with very long duration
dominate most of the day
Hellgren (2015)

69. Energy consumption
From domestic activities (electricity)
and
from travel activities

70. Cluster A: Travels with short duration
and various transportation means.
(835 individuals)
Energy use for domestic
activities (blue) dominate all day
Hellgren (2015)

71. Cluster B: Travels with a little longer
duration, dominated by car
(1013 individuals)
Energy use for travel activities
(yellow) dominate most of the day
Hellgren (2015)

72. Cluster C: Travels with longer duration
dominated by public transport
and walking.
(593 individuals)
Energy use from travel activities
(yellow) dominate most of the day
Hellgren (2015)

73. Cluster D:
Travel with longer duration
dominated by car
(660 individuals)
Energy use from travel activities
(yellow) dominate all day
Hellgren (2015)

74. Cluster E: Travels with very long duration
dominate most of the day
(143 individuals)
Energy use from travel activities
(yelllow) dominate all day
Hellgren (2015)

75. 4. Conclusions for information campaigns on
energy savings in the household sector
Knowledge is needed about the different ways to divide activities related to energy use
between household members.
It is not enough to encourage purchase of more energy efficient appliances when
households buy more of each kind ( for example: individualization of the computer and
telephone)
Low energy buildings do not imply energy efficient living
Energy information will improve its outcome if the message is better customized to the
household member(s) actually performing the activities approached
Economic incentives will imply rebound effects (money left for other expences) which
might spoil the effects from reduced energy use.
For households, the largest effect at present will be to reduce the use of car for travel
activities.
This said, the household projects claiming electric appliances must be considered and
collective use encouraged.

76. In the performance of our daily activities we choose the appearance of the future sunset:
in bright light or covered in smog
Thank you!