The Design Space of Personal Energy Conservation Assistants
Jörn Loviscach · Psychnology · 2011
There are many routes to reduce one's energy footprint, ranging from picking the right means of transportation to switching off the heating when leaving a room to choosing seasonal local food. Many of these options, however, cannot be selected in an automated fashion, but require a deliberate decision. Pervasive computer systems may support this process, acting as personal energy conservation assistants. Such solutions can be characterized by a range of properties including the degree of obtrusiveness, data privacy, and coordination with utilities or domestic power generators. Along with discussing dimensions of the design space, this paper points out existing approaches and avenues for future research.