Human behaviours: new paradigms of energy efficiency. Communication tools to deliver a technical message to non-experts

Abstract

In the application of new technologies and incentive model, the complexity of the decision-making process requires new attention. Human behaviour increasingly influences the success of the implementation of technologies for energy saving and comfort, from the decision-making phase to the use of the building, including operation and maintenance activities. A new approach can help people understand, participate, be involved, and maximize the results of a complex operation that directly involves them. Communication and the development of behaviour change programs have many advantages: they are savings measures with an excellent cost-benefit ratio, which can trigger virtuous behaviours thanks to access to emotions that move the limbic part of the human brain, such as fear failure, the desire to excel or immediate success, the promise of a reward, etc. This paper provides an overview of the concepts and behavioural change initiatives that can be most effective in saving energy. A brief on effective communication will be provided, then the project of an awareness campaign in condominiums will be described, followed by a focus on the tool of graphic recording and graphic facilitation that can be used effectively to arise people awareness and conduct an audience to take decision. The paper itself will be presented as an application of this and will use the graphic recording technique to help conference participants to follow and remember the concepts. In a liquid society, soft skills and technical skills are both fundamental and this awareness is only the beginning of a new approach to conduct complex projects with satisfying results for all stakeholders.

Keywords

• energy savings
• rational energy use
• sustainable energy development
• human behaviour
• effective communication