Research Methods
The LEEDR project takes a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of domestic energy consumption, taking into account both the technological and social dimensions that determine how we use energy in our day-to-day lives.
In the UK, as in many Western societies, we have come to expect certain living standards that demand energy, including the heating (and increasingly cooling) of domestic environments, readily available hot water and electric lighting. We also use energy for food storage and preparation, as well as for many areas of work and entertainment. However, different systems, devices and controls in the home along with people’s routines and priorities all vary significantly across households, rendering energy demand reduction a particularly complex and multifaceted research challenge. LEEDR's way into this problem is to take a three-point approach to data collection and interpretation.
High resolution whole house energy monitoring is used with engineering-led analysis to capture the devices that use energy, establish their characteristics and to seek out dependencies and patterns in use. ‘Engineering’ is used here to describe broad technical disciplines that span mechanical, electrical and systems engineering and Computer Science.
The Social Scientists on the team use novel sensory-ethnographic techniques to explore the rich tapestry that forms day-to-day routines and practices in the home. Through video ethnographies, they explore in detail 'what makes a home a home' and how energy consumption is bound up in everyday activities.
The Design team employ interview and workshop techniques combined with thematic analysis to understand how to design better intervention measures and to develop a vision of the future home, helping to place the project findings in context as we move towards 2050.
The LEEDR project hopes to help in:
- understanding energy consumption in more detail and how it relates to everyday activities in the home,
- gaining insights into digital media and how they can be utilised for energy demand reduction,
- targeting energy reduction measures in the context of family life,
- developing household personas,
- placing interventions and homes in a future context,
- developing interdisciplinary working methods.
