Climate change and energy insecurity are two of the most pressing issues of our time. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, McKenzie and Company, the U.S. Department of Energy, and others have concluded that improving energy efficiency can result in some of the largest energy use reductions at the lowest (or even negative) cost. Approximately one-third of the energy used in the United States is consumed by the residential sector, but improving energy efficiency in this sector has traditionally been difficult to accomplish with purely technological or economic solutions. These approaches could be significantly augmented by applying behavioral approaches to getting individuals to purchase, install, and properly use technology; retrofit their homes; adjust their current habits; or reduce use. Behavioral approaches can also be used to achieve these goals relatively quickly and with widespread diffusion. This talk illustrates the different types of interventions that can be employed to promote behavior change with examples in the energy domain, and describes some behavioral principles that can be utilized with each type of intervention to enhance success.

Department:  Stanford Prevention Research Center

Contact: Susan Ayres | 723-6145 | susan.ayres@stanford.edu

Presenter(s):

• Carrie Armel Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine