Developing of a application for central visualisation of the energy and resource demand in a private household "ZENVIS"

The main focus of the research project ZENVIS is set on the analysis of the benefits provided by a "visualization device", which gathers the readings of energy and resource consumption (electricity, gas, water, heat energy and fuel consumption). This device ought to find its use in households and to allow the consumer to observe and to control his energy consumption.

Short Description

Status

ongoing

Summary

If the energy transformation should be accomplished, first steps towards this change must be the reduction of the energy consumption - this is the common consensus of energy experts. The Austrian private households mark an enormous potential. In this sector relevant reductions are not realisable by big applied arrangements, but rather through meshing of many small changes of user behaviour like aware purchase and application of energy-efficient devices or reducing the use of standby-mode. The main idea of the device "ZENVIS" is to show all available energy consumption data in a household on one screen, whereas a psychological effect should be created such as a tachometer or as an on-board vehicle computer. The energy and resource consumption in households supposed to be perceived as constant cumulative value and the consumer ought to be converted by his interposition from passive paying bills to acting responsible. The device has its own location, where it shows the current consumption of electricity, heat and water.

To support the development of this energy and resources consumption visualizing device in households, it is needed to make enquiries about potential of reduction in private households, user behaviour and the state of technology. Building on that, analysis about consumer behaviour and consumer acceptance via workshops and interviews with experts will be established and the technical feasibility of ZENVIS will be checked. Then the systems available on the market will be examined and evaluated.

Those systems, which have been proved as suitable, will be discussed together with the building developer regarding the application in the demonstration project and where needed and possible they will be adapted. Thereby the surplus costs of the system, the effect of marketing and the expected user acceptance will be analysed and a concept for the implementation of a centralised will be carried out.

Project Partners

Project management

Dr. Herbert Greisberger, OEGUT - Österreichische
Gesellschaft für Umwelt und Technik

Project or cooperation partner

Wiener Volksbildung
Hollergasse 22
1150 Wien
Verein für Konsumenteninformation
Mariahilferstraße 81
1060 Wien

Contact Address

ÖGUT, Hollandstraße 10/46, 1020 Wien
Telefon: +43 (0)1/315 63 93-0
Fax: +43 (0)1/315 63 93-22
www.oegut.at