Smart Showers
The EEI Market Transformation Research Team worked with UC Davis Housing and Facilities Management to conduct an experiment aimed at reducing energy and water use in on-campus housing. The Team deployed Hydrao smart showerheads that monitor water use and provide feedback to users. The showerheads have built-in colored lights, which are programmed to illuminate during […]
Building Energy Audits
Building Energy Audits The EEI Market Transformation Research Team contributed to a project for the Office of Naval Research, led by the UC Davis Office of Energy and Engineering and in partnership with a software company called arbnco, to design, develop, and test a building energy audit app that could be used at military bases […]
Field Experiments to Encourage Passive Cooling Strategies in Japanese Households and among American College Students
UCD researchers conducted a pair of experiments to reduce energy consumption from air conditioning by encouraging alternative cooling methods. In Japan, the researchers conducted an experiment to encourage the use of passive cooling techniques to maintain thermal comfort and reduce air conditioning usage in the summer at E-Sogo, a sustainably-built community in Yokohama, Japan. The […]
Field Experiments to Encourage Passive Cooling Strategies in Japanese Households and among American College Students
UCD researchers conducted a pair of experiments to reduce energy consumption from air conditioning by encouraging alternative cooling methods. In Japan, the researchers conducted an experiment to encourage the use of passive cooling techniques to maintain thermal comfort and reduce air conditioning usage in the summer at E-Sogo, a sustainably-built community in Yokohama, Japan. The […]
Market Barriers to Adopting Emerging HVAC Technologies
UCD researchers conducted a study to identify market barriers impeding the adoption of emerging HVAC technologies in California, relying on interviews with key experts and industry stakeholders. A behavior economics model of behavior change was applied to analyze the data collected and identified cross-cutting issues related to dependency, risk, transparency, accountability, and trust. The Team […]
Addressing Market Barriers to Evaporative Cooling Technology Adoption with Informational Videos
UCD researchers conducted an experiment to assess the potential for using informational videos to stimulate interest in emerging HVAC technologies. A series of three videos were created, each featuring a single evaporative cooling technology. The videos provided information on how the technology works, evidence of technical performance, and cost and energy savings estimates, based on […]
Field Study to Assess Occupant Experience of and Market Potential for Energy Efficient Ventilation and Cooling Technologies
The Market Transformation Research Team aided a field experiment to document the energy, indoor air quality, and cost effectiveness of a pair of cutting-edge residential energy efficient upgrade packages. These included pre-cooling ventilation, evaporative cooling, and aerosol sealing of the building envelope. Researchers conducted quarterly household interviews to measure occupant behavior and satisfaction. The research […]
Teacher Survey of Comfort, Control and Air Quality in California Schools
UCD researchers led the design, implementation, and analysis of a survey of classroom teachers to measure occupant behavior, experience, and satisfaction as part of a field study to measure the performance of energy efficient HVAC upgrades in California schools. Correlations between occupant reports and objective measures of thermal comfort and indoor air quality were calculated, […]
Usability Testing for Intelligent HVAC Controls
The EEI Market Transformation Research Team worked with the UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center, Electric Power Research Institute, and UC Berkeley on a project for the California Energy Commission that involved designing, developing, and testing a smart thermostat geared toward affordable housing communities. The Market Transformation Research Team led the user research for the […]
Residential electrification in Sacramento and its impact on appliance sales
UCD researchers conducted a study to characterize the landscape for residential electrification in Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) territory. Data was collected from SMUD, policy documents, and interviews with numerous industry experts. The potential demand for heat pump water heaters, space conditioning heat pumps, induction stoves, and heat pump clothes dryers is estimated for SMUD […]
