Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Setup of Consumer Wearable Devices for Exposure and Health Monitoring in Population Studies
Published on: February 3, 2023
Washing when the sun is shining! How users interact with a household energy management system
Charlotte B A Kobus1, Ruth Mugge, Jan P L Schoormans
1Enexis B.V./Delft University of Technology, PO Box 856, 5201 AW's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. Charlotte.CBA.Kobus@Enexis.nl
Abstract:
To make optimal use of sustainable energy, domestic electricity consumption should shift to match local supply conditions. Energy management systems (EMS) are a new sustainable technology that can help to disrupt consumers' habits concerning electricity consumption, whilst reinforcing desired behaviours. This research examined the factors that influence the likelihood that people will shift their electricity consumption to match sustainable supply. Twenty-one interviews were conducted with households who had used the EMS 'Smart Wash' for several months. The findings showed that the likelihood of behaviour change is influenced by a combination of the user's motivation, specific contextual factors and the design of the EMS. Based on these results, several recommendations are given for the future design of EMSs.
Practitioner Summary:
Energy management systems (EMS) are a new technology that encourages people to shift electricity consumption to match local solar supply. Interviews among users of an EMS showed that the likelihood of behaviour change is influenced by the combination of the user's motivation, contextual factors and the EMS design.
Related Concept Videos
Electrical Energy
Heating and Cooling Curves
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
A household refrigerator removes heat from the...
Washing, Drying, and Ignition of Precipitates
Power and Energy
Power, defined as the time rate of expending or absorbing energy, is quantified in units called watts (W). The relation between power and energy is mathematically given as
Energy Basics
