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MOtivating end-users Behavioral change by combined ICT based tools and modular Information services on energy use, indoor environment, health and lifestyle

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - MOBISTYLE (MOtivating end-users Behavioral change by combined ICT based tools and modular Information services on energy use, indoor environment, health and lifestyle)

Reporting period: 2019-04-01 to 2020-06-30

The overall aim is to motivate behavioral change by raising consumer awareness and awareness of ownership by providing attractive personalized combined knowledge services on energy use, indoor environment, health and lifestyle, by ICT-based solutions. This awareness will support and motivate end-users to well informed pro-active behavior towards energy use, energy efficiency and health, thus empowering consumers and providing confidence of making the right choices. The combination of awareness on both energy, health and lifestyle will offer consumers more and better incentives than only information on energy use. MOBISTYLE has the following objectives:
1. To present understandable information and indicators, related to energy use and energy efficiency, in an easy to handle and attractive way for consumers, by unlocking and translating large data sets using data analytics from energy monitoring.
The first objective is to make energy use and energy efficiency understandable by generating understandable indicators from (big) data and information from monitoring systems and in-home equipment, (provided by sensors, smart meters, smart plugs, smart appliances and energy-aware products, intelligent controls and home/building automation) and transform these data into understandable knowledge that is presented in a portable and useful way, provided on the right time and place.
2. To provide understandable personalized information for consumers by combining energy monitoring with monitoring of indoor environmental quality, behavior parameters and daily habits
Fragmented or non-holistic approaches on implementing energy-efficiency measures in buildings have a big risk to raise a conflict between energy saving, thermal comfort, indoor environmental quality (including indoor air quality, light and acoustics) and health.
3. To motivate change of consumers’ habits and daily practices on energy use on a longer and lasting time by combined modular personalized information on individual energy use, health and lifestyle
This objective is to transform this information into knowledge for raising awareness on energy use and behavior, thus motivating and supporting energy end-users to come to a behavioral consciousness and change of lifestyle concerning energy and health. The combined information on both energy, indoor environment and health allows for informed decision making and supports confidence and feeling of self-control in end users and is much more effective and motivating than only information on energy. Most important is that the motivation, awareness and behavioral consciousness should be lasting and be a part of daily living and routines.
4. To foster new business models and applications for future developer engagements
The modular information services and data collection offer new business opportunities for developers and designated third parties.
5. To achieve a lasting and sustainable behavioral change in different real environments by deploying and validating the developed solutions and services, demonstrating a significant reduction of final energy use, prompted by these solutions.
MOBISTYLE started with the mapping of communication and information needs and approach for the different types of energy end-users. This included the mapping of different types of data that can be captured from in-home equipment and sensors etc. After segmentation of users into different the methodological framework was developed. The MOBISTYLE methodology was developed that consists of 4 steps:
1. Investigation of the operation of energy systems through behaviour-related data collection (building and user data monitoring) and monitoring of human presence and practices;
2. Understanding of the human behaviour (comfort, health) through user data analytics (from wearable sensors), stochastic modelling, and energy simulations;
3. Improvement of the building performance (energy, thermal comfort, IAQ) by integrating behavioural solutions (awareness campaign);
4. Development of strategies to transform different specific indicators into useful knowledge for the final users.
Also the work on the Development of ICT based tools and on the Development of modular information services and business applications started, including general architecture of the MOBISTYLE platform. The main idea of personalized MOBISTYLE modular information services is to offer the so called data acquisition bundles where users decide which services they want, how long and during what time, and which data they are willing to provide for these services. To test the attractiveness and ease of use of first developed ICT solution mock-ups, usability testing with the users at the demonstration sites was elaborated. Following the people-centred approach, it was observed what are the GUI applications and main visualization techniques attractive to the users, which are the KPIs understandable to the users etc. Also the MOBISTYLE Things Connector has been developed, aiming to reach the following practical goals: adapt and customize the Holonix i-LiKe platform solution (originally applied to industrial production environments) to manage the data-flows from smart home appliances, following their lifecycle and providing data to the MOBISTYLE Modular Information Services. The result is an easy and quick access to smart home appliances data flows and lifecycle information while the appliance is installed into his final position. The preparations for the demonstration and validation of the five study and demonstration cases have been executed. This has resulted in stage I of the Elaboration of a detailed action plan and monitoring campaign for each case including the steps that have to be taken in the development process of the action plan.
1. To transform ‘big data’ into ‘smart data’.
2. To develop user-friendly and desirable ICT-based tools which will make energy monitoring a well-accepted and attractive ‘daily (routine) activity’.
3. The tools will contribute to the way energy behavior of buildings is monitored in daily life and will leading to behavioral change and nudging of consumers.
4. To offer the end user synergy and transparency on quality of the indoor environment and impact on individual health and lifestyle.
5. To offer the end user (occupants) optional body monitoring by several low-cost, non-intrusive devices combined with the energy monitoring.
6. The development of combined modular energy and health information and monitoring services.
7. To develop a modular structure to provide tailor-made services (information/data acquisition bundles): the end-users decide which services they want, how long and during what time, and which data they will offer for these services. It gives also the possibility to add new modules later, such as monitoring diabetes, safety, self-supporting living for elderly people etc.
8. The establishment of a MOBISTYLE Open Users Platform with an open architecture for developer engagements and for further deployment of the developed tools, modular information services, etc.
9.The development business and exploitation models to support the modular information services.
The figure presents the multidisciplinary MOBISTYLE approach developed as part of the project..