Using a lens of feedback and engagement this paper discusses the relationships between people, organisations, and energy use in workplaces. It reflects on two projects that explored participatory energy practices in public and private organisations. The first, “Working with Infrastructure, Creation of Knowledge, and Energy strategy Development (WICKED)”, explored energy management practices in a range of different retail companies. The second, ‘Gooddeeds’ aimed to collaboratively create an ICT based tool and related social processes with a city municipality. The paper concludes, firstly, that energy management sits against the backdrop of competing organisational, institutional and political priorities and the core strategy of an organisation matters. Second, we need to move beyond the ‘them and us’ culture and ‘information-deficit’ approach intrinsic in the notion of dashboards and feedback to appreciate the positive contribution all can make to energy efficiency. Finally, there are still large discrepancies across organisations with regards to energy management capabilities and metering technologies. In conclusion we note that relationships and partnerships are central in moving forward.
Nitya Jacob, Associate Professor of Biology, and Andrea Heisel, Associate College Librarian, both at Oxford College, present their findings at the Georgia Conference of Information Literacy in October 2009.
Using a lens of feedback and engagement this paper discusses the relationships between people, organisations, and energy use in workplaces. It reflects on two projects that explored participatory energy practices in public and private organisations. The first, “Working with Infrastructure, Creation of Knowledge, and Energy strategy Development (WICKED)”, explored energy management practices in a range of different retail companies. The second, ‘Gooddeeds’ aimed to collaboratively create an ICT based tool and related social processes with a city municipality. The paper concludes, firstly, that energy management sits against the backdrop of competing organisational, institutional and political priorities and the core strategy of an organisation matters. Second, we need to move beyond the ‘them and us’ culture and ‘information-deficit’ approach intrinsic in the notion of dashboards and feedback to appreciate the positive contribution all can make to energy efficiency. Finally, there are still large discrepancies across organisations with regards to energy management capabilities and metering technologies. In conclusion we note that relationships and partnerships are central in moving forward.
Nitya Jacob, Associate Professor of Biology, and Andrea Heisel, Associate College Librarian, both at Oxford College, present their findings at the Georgia Conference of Information Literacy in October 2009.