The impact of peer network position on electricity consumption in building occupant networks utilizing energy feedback systems

There is a growing need to reduce building energy consumption to limit greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the strain on our electricity grids. Researchers have shown that people are more likely to implement conservation practices in response to energy consumption feedback the more socially proximal the norm provided in that feedback. It has also been shown that sharing individual room-level electricity usage information with peers is more effective in inducing consumption reduction than exposure to generic norms. Designers of energy use feedback systems are leveraging social networks to encourage energy-efficient behavior. Yet, despite growing interest in the role of peer networks to induce energy savings, we know little about how properties of peer networks, such as a given user's position in a peer network, impact consumption behavior. In a 22-room study group where building residents shared room-level electricity consumption information among peer groups in the same building, we tested the correlation of network degree and Eigenvector centrality with percent change in consumption relative to non-participants. This result shows that energy use feedback is more effective in promoting the implementation of energy saving practices as more peers share energy usage information through the feedback system. This finding underscores the importance of exploring and exploiting linkages between social structure and energy conservation. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.