Acting on the practices and behaviours of building users to improve energy efficiency

In order to increase the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce energy consumption, the THE4BEES project aimed to encourage users of public buildings to change their practices and behaviour, by involving them in the actions proposed. Through digital tools (web and mobile applications) and connected objects (recorders for temperature, brightness, CO2 and power consumption), target groups of high school students and teachers were encouraged to change their habits in the classrooms they occupy.

In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, AURA-EE, with the help of HESPUL (a not-profit organisation specialised in rational use of energy and renewable energy saving), accompanied teachers and students from two pilot high schools in the Lyon area: the Aragon High School in Givors and the Condorcet High School in Saint-Priest. The project was also supported by the Psykolab social psychology firm in the construction of a communication campaign on energy savings, in making sensor boxes and creating a digital application to visualise consumption.

Main lessons learnt from the project

• The project allowed to learn the following lessons:
• Involving building users in energy saving actions leads to a positive change of their behaviour
• Designing, with the building users, digital solutions for energy monitoring is a way to engage them in environmental issues
• Installing measuring instruments and displaying real time results  is an awareness tool that challenges the users
• An approach for raising awareness and involving the users has to be conducted as a continuous improvement process
• To properly monitor the energy in a building, it is necessary to set up an alert system in case of a consumption peak or sensor failure.