Data Acquisition
Recruitment and Householder Journey
Changeworks and the National Energy Foundation will direct their extensive experience to managing the critical householder journey, encompassing trust, a household focus, and an ethical data stance. We will develop an "offering", sufficiently attractive for the householder to make the commitment required. We will also ask householders to agree to defer any utility offer to install a Smart Meter until the study is completed. Incentives promoted will include the dedicated tablet computer for each household, to be used as the standard feedback interface throughout the study.
Staged recruitment will target, characterize, qualify, filter and allocate participants to study design groups, using the following channels: Registered Social Landlords with established relationships with Changewors and NEF for low income; larger organizations for high income; and additional channels and databases. Discrete geographic participation areas centred on Edinburgh and Milton Keynes will enable efficient sensor installation, household surveying and support. Post-installation, Changeworks and NEF will provide a hotline support phone number for all issues. Household engagement will be maintained with twice yearly short project newsletters, 6-monthly online follow-up surveys, and opportunities for householders to interact with the team and each other via e.g., online discussion boards, Facebook groups, etc.
Installation and initial data acquisition
Data collection will exploit wireless networked sensors. For each dwelling, sensors will be installed and initial data gathered in a 2-hour visit by trained Changeworks and NEF staff. Data collected will include:
Real-time sensors
Sensors will be small wireless devices with 3-year battery power which communicate timestamped data at 1 minute intervals to a base station. Room sensors attached securely will measure temperature, humidity and light level. Electricity and gas demand will be measured with a current clamp and a magnetic or optoelectric sensor, respectively. Heating demand will be assessed with temperature sensors on radiator supply and hot-water tap supply pipes. Although commercial sensor suppliers operate in this space, none at present supply a full system at an affordable price; this will be reviewed early in the Pilot Phase with potential suppliers. Instead, we will design, prototype and arrange outsourced production of the sensors.
Post-installation data acquisition
The mains-powered base station collecting sensor data will communicate to a high-reliability commercial cloud service via broadband once per minute; from there it will be downloaded to the project database frequently. External datasets downloaded to the database will include average monthly fuel prices, Met Office weather data including both forecasts and actual hourly readings, and carbon intensity of grid electricity. The 6-monthly online follow up surveys, and close collaboration with Registered Social Landlordss, will capture changes to factors influencing (1) the property energy performance such as Green Deal retrofits of energy efficiency measures or microgeneration technologies, or (2) the household characteristics including holidays, variations in house occupancy, changes in attitudes, or changes in energy supplier. This will allow us to quantify actual energy savings of retrofit measures, and any "rebound" effect.
Changeworks and the National Energy Foundation will direct their extensive experience to managing the critical householder journey, encompassing trust, a household focus, and an ethical data stance. We will develop an "offering", sufficiently attractive for the householder to make the commitment required. We will also ask householders to agree to defer any utility offer to install a Smart Meter until the study is completed. Incentives promoted will include the dedicated tablet computer for each household, to be used as the standard feedback interface throughout the study.
Staged recruitment will target, characterize, qualify, filter and allocate participants to study design groups, using the following channels: Registered Social Landlords with established relationships with Changewors and NEF for low income; larger organizations for high income; and additional channels and databases. Discrete geographic participation areas centred on Edinburgh and Milton Keynes will enable efficient sensor installation, household surveying and support. Post-installation, Changeworks and NEF will provide a hotline support phone number for all issues. Household engagement will be maintained with twice yearly short project newsletters, 6-monthly online follow-up surveys, and opportunities for householders to interact with the team and each other via e.g., online discussion boards, Facebook groups, etc.
Installation and initial data acquisition
Data collection will exploit wireless networked sensors. For each dwelling, sensors will be installed and initial data gathered in a 2-hour visit by trained Changeworks and NEF staff. Data collected will include:
- Energy related property attributes including building fabric, heating systems and controls, solar gain, meter types, and installed renewable energy technologies. An rDSAP survey will generate an Energy Efficiency Rating as part of an Energy Performance Certificate.
- Household characteristics, including composition, ownership/control of domestic electrical appliances, individual heating patterns, room temperatures and energy related behaviours
Real-time sensors
Sensors will be small wireless devices with 3-year battery power which communicate timestamped data at 1 minute intervals to a base station. Room sensors attached securely will measure temperature, humidity and light level. Electricity and gas demand will be measured with a current clamp and a magnetic or optoelectric sensor, respectively. Heating demand will be assessed with temperature sensors on radiator supply and hot-water tap supply pipes. Although commercial sensor suppliers operate in this space, none at present supply a full system at an affordable price; this will be reviewed early in the Pilot Phase with potential suppliers. Instead, we will design, prototype and arrange outsourced production of the sensors.
Post-installation data acquisition
The mains-powered base station collecting sensor data will communicate to a high-reliability commercial cloud service via broadband once per minute; from there it will be downloaded to the project database frequently. External datasets downloaded to the database will include average monthly fuel prices, Met Office weather data including both forecasts and actual hourly readings, and carbon intensity of grid electricity. The 6-monthly online follow up surveys, and close collaboration with Registered Social Landlordss, will capture changes to factors influencing (1) the property energy performance such as Green Deal retrofits of energy efficiency measures or microgeneration technologies, or (2) the household characteristics including holidays, variations in house occupancy, changes in attitudes, or changes in energy supplier. This will allow us to quantify actual energy savings of retrofit measures, and any "rebound" effect.
