As sophisticated as the ICT to be implemented might be, users will have to make the initial settings, regularly check for faults and tweak the performance. With an increasing number of active systems, including storage, professionals require, at least, clear information. ‘Energy Decision Support and Awareness Services’ give advice and guidance for optimising energy consumption of facilities and optimal energy consumption behaviour to professionals responsible for building operation, to residents as well as staff building users and to visitors. Feedback is based on metering current energy consumption and automatic comparison of historic data, norms and simulation enabling humans to act in unconditional or conditional manner:

• Unconditional actions are generic optimisations of installations and day-to-day behaviour. Energy savings are achieved, for instance, as soon the change is made to installations (e.g. retro-fitting) and behaviour is adopted. Typically, unconditional actions require long-term assessment such as benchmarks allowing the provision of generic advice, training and consulting.

• Conditional actions are specific optimisations of consumption anomalies occurring without obvious patterns over time. Energy savings are achieved, for instance, by correction of failures, approaching individuals causing consumption spikes and optimising procedures to prevent the event. Typically, conditional actions require regular data updates and push messages enabling professionals and keen individuals to search for the cause.

empirica has over a decade experience in developing, implementing, assessing and adapting decision support services. Enabling tenants and citizens to make better energy decisions requires a large skill set starting with requirements definition, the ability to identify relevant use cases and explore them with user groups, organizational analysis and process design. Our skills extend to understanding measures needed for compliance to data protection legislation as well as how to address user fears of data corruption, unauthorized access or loss, enabling energy professionals and ordinary users to communicate effectively and unreservedly.