PUBLISHING ENERGY USE IN
THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENTS!
INFERENCES FROM DESIGN
INTERVENTION CASES IN
INDIAN APARTMENTS !
Karthikeya Acharya!
Doctoral Researcher !
Department of Design School of
Art, Design and Architecture !
Aalto University!
18 th September 2012!

Activities that construct domestic living in Indian
apartments. !
Performing daily living and material consumption
in these contexts.!

As a matter of constructive design research
methodology, to understand daily living with
electricity, I have deployed prototypes that
publish and make open energy use in the field
to reach inferences and hypothesis about
material usage in daily living.!

I!
While the benefits in gaining open access and making energy use
information live and accessible at the end user level are by now aimed to
help in energy conservation, I present a supportive design intervention
case where opening energy use data has lead to reflecting on ones
acquired habits from a longitudinal perspective. !
II!
Also, when opening energy data is considered within the context of the
domestic environments it is useful to look at the relation between energy
usage and the notion of more and less private spaces of the home.!

I!
A case of comparing daily energy use between two families in the same apartment block!

Family A lives in an
apartment of 120
sq meters !

Family B lives in a !
280 sq meter !
apartment !

- Family A lives in an apartment of 120
sq meters!
- 4 member family!
- Energy use= about 1.5 X of Family B !
- Family B lives in a !
280 sq meter house!
- 4 member family!
- Energy use=1 X!

Family has spent about 18
years in Mumbai, a city in India,
where energy costs are very
high because of energy being
privatized.!
- Family A lives in an apartment of 120
sq meters! They also mention that their
- 4 member family! energy and water consumption
- Energy use= about 1.5 X of Family B ! habits have developed over
their stay in that city. !
Have lived in the Gulf - Family B lives in a !
state of Abu Dhabi for 280 sq meter house!
about 25 years which had - 4 member family!
very inexpensive charges - Energy use=1 X!
for electricity and they
would hardly pay eight
dollars a month for all the
energy use there. !
The father thinks that he
and his family have
carried their habits from
Abu Dhabi to India. !

Such an inference questions how energy use habits
evolve in context of consumption over a longitudinal
span of time. !
What are the programmatic implications of getting to
understand peoples prior energy use context for
conservation programs? !

II!

ric Agency!
H ome Elect
Electrical
Artifacts !
in the
Public-
Private
spaces of
the Indian
apartment !

Bath
Living
Room/Hall
Dining
Kitchen
Bedroom
/Toi
Public
Private
Rapoport, Amos. 1977. Human
aspects of urban form: towards
a man-environment approach
to urban form and design. !

02_Manga Mention
lore_12_M on Day in
ushrath the life Analysis: !
chart Time Yesterday's activity at Why did you do it? Make a list of all that was needed for the activity
Bath
/Toi
Geyser///3
Fan/////////
5 Sleeping, doing Namaz tired Fan, Bed, Pillow, Bedsheet etc
9 9
Geyser///3 36 Cooking My son has to go to school Gyser, Gas, Vessel, oil
Grinder/1 1
Bedroom
7 Cooking For the morning breakfast Vessel, oil, Fruits, etc
Mixer/1 1 Fan/////////9
TV/////5 58 Giving breakfast to another son He has to go school Bag, Gyser, Vessel, oil, Plates, Lunch Boxes
Light/1 19 I left My son to school He has to go school car, Petrol
10 Cooking Prepare food for lunch Gas, Rice, Grinder, Mixer, Vegetables, Meat, water, Fish etc
11 Again picking up from school car or autorickshaw
12 I watch T.V. Entertainment T.V, sofa, Fan
Grinder/1
Kitchen
13 Doing Namaz watching T.V. Entertainment T.V, sofa, Fan
Private
14 Serving food To have lunch Fan, T.V. Crockery's etc
Mixer/1
15 Sleep or watching T.V. Tired Fan, T.V.
16 Doing Namaz Prepare Coffee, snacks Routine Gas, water, vessels etc.
Public
17 I went for shopping To buy a dress for children Car
Dining
18 Still Shopping " "
19 came back gave bath to children doing Namaz Gyser, water, Towel, cloth
20 Teaching children Reading Quran They have to learn Table, light, fan, Books
21 Doing Namaz watching T.V Pleasure T.V, Fan, Light
22 Dinner hungry Gas, water, Table, Fan
23 went to Sleep Tired Fan, Bed, Pillow, Bedsheet
Living
Room/Hall
24 went to Sleep " "
1 " " "
2 " " " TV/////5
3 " " " Light/1
4 " " "

01_Manipal Mention
_06_Mikhai on Day in
l the life Analysis: !
chart
Bath
/Toi
Time Yesterday's activity at Why did you do it? Make a list of all that was needed for the activity
Mobile
(alarm) /1 1
5 Sleep Need it badly
Laptop /////5 5
Light //2 26 Mobile (alarm) /1
Bedroom
Sleep "
Fan ///3 37 woke up getting late for college mobile (alarm) breakfast
Laptop /////5
TV/1 1 Light //2
8 College cause i didnt feel like bunking books, stationary, laptop (Labwork)
Internet //2 2
Mobile //2 29 "
Internet //2
Music Mobile //2
10 "
system /1 1 Music system /1
11 "
Kitchen
12 "
13 "
Private
14 "
15 "
16 "
Public
17 reached home after college Felt bored of attending lectures
Dining
18 had a shower, ate a few snacks gettin all set to study water, food
19 Study so as to secure the highest marks this sem. light, fan, stationary, books, Laptop
20 Study " "
21 had dinner, said prayers Felt hungry
22 Watched TV, used internet comfort is needed in everyone's life (electricity) TV, internet, Laptop
23 watched a movie relax one's mind of the days tensions Laptop, mobile, internet
Living
Room/Hall
24 study have to pass my exams light, fan, electricity, water, snacks, books, Laptop
1 listened to music, movie relax mobile, music system
2 sleep (said prayers) relax fan, a peaceful mind
TV/1
3 " " "
4 " " "

03_Bangal Mention
ore_18_M on Day in
ary the life Analysis: !
chart 03_Ban Time Yesterday's activity at Why did you do it? Make a list of all that was needed for the activity
Bath
galore_
/Toi
18_Mar
y
Fan//2 2
Computer/ 5 Sleeping Rest Bed Fan Bedsheets
1 1 Fan//2
Mouse/1 1
Bedroom
6 Woke up Brushed Teeth Bathroom Time to get up To live Stretch, (curse) Paste, Water & Soap Water & Towel
Medicine Water Medicine & Water cup & Water
Tread Mill/1 1
Fridge/1 1 7 Coffee Tea Computer Games Emails Solitaire Stove, Water, Milk, Tea, Coffee Powder Computer
Mouse, Chair
Light/1 1
TV///3 3 8 Newspaper To know what is happening Newspaper. Time Computer/1
Mouse/1
9 Soduku Game Interested to spend time Paper, Pen & Mind
10 Gym. Warm up Tread Mill To get rid of the toxins I get Tread mill Water to drink Towel to clean
reading the paper
Kitchen
11 yoga helps me in focusing & depression Mat & Mind
12 Shower To clean myself & feel fresh Water Towel Dress
Private
13 Lunch To survive Fish Rice Veg Curd & Rasam
Fridge/1
14 Shopping To buy office Chair Car gas or diesel Driver, Money & Time
Light/1
15 Shopping Checked ups inverter for TV
Public
16 Grocery Shopping Need to cook & eat Car, driver, diesel, money patience & mood
Dining
17 Home-arranged items Needed to put in the fridge Fridge, light & again patience
18 Watched TV Serial Pass time TV. E.City
19 Dinner Survival Food
20 TV Pass Time TV. E.City
21 TV pass Time TV. E.City
22 TV "
Living
Room/Hall
23 Slept Rest Fan
24
TV///3
1
2
3
4

Bath
Living
Room/Hall
Dining
Kitchen
Bedroom
/Toi
Public
Private
Fan//2 060wh
Fan//2 060wh
Fan//2 060wh
Light/1 050wh
Light/1 050wh
Light/1 050wh
Light/1 050wh
Light/1 060wh
TV//2 120wh
050wh
Mixer/1 TV//2 120wh
Water
Fridge/1 800wh
920wh
A/C/1 Heating/1
Grinder/1 1000wh
820wh
Fridge/1 washing 2000wh
050wh
machine/1
Microwave 1000wh
2980wh
2900wh
1050wh
230wh
160wh

Does energy get consumed more in private than in public?!
What is the energy implication of retaining the notion of the
private that we have constructed with our energy intensive
past?!

Karthikeya Acharya!
THANKS! Doctoral Researcher !
Department of Design School of
Art, Design and Architecture !
Aalto University!
18 th September 2012!