Publication type: Conference paper
Type of review: Peer review (publication)
Title: Multiplying energy-saving behaviour in cities through formal social groups
Authors: Moser, Corinne
Blumer, Yann
Seidl, Roman
Carabias-Hütter, Vicente
Furrer, Bettina
Proceedings: eceee Summer Study proceedings : eceee 2015 Summer Study – First fuel now
Editors of the parent work: Laitinen Lindström, Therese
Borg & Co, Stockholm, Sweden
Page(s): 2133
Pages to: 2141
Conference details: ECEEE 2015 Summer Study «First fuel now» Toulon/Hyères, France, 1-6 June 2015
Issue Date: 2015
ISBN: 978-91-980482-6-1
978-91-980482-7-8
ISSN: 2001-7960
Language: English
Subject (DDC): 333.79: Energy
Abstract: Cities are key agents of change in the ongoing energy transition in Switzerland. They promote technical efficiency measures and behavioural change to save energy – both by being role models and by addressing consumers directly. A crucial question is how cities can best elicit private consumers’ full potential of energy saving through adapting their habitual behaviour or routines, or in other words, how cities can promote energy sufficiency. This paper presents first findings of a transdisciplinary project involving researchers from ZHAW, ETH Zurich and the three Swiss cities of Winterthur, Baden, and Zug. The project’s key idea is that cities can promote energy sufficiency of private consumers through middle-actors. In particular, it examines whether formal social groups (e.g., sports clubs) may function as powerful multipliers for energy-saving activities. Thus, the aims of this paper are: i) to identify activities of the three analysed cities to promote private energy-saving, and ii) to discuss the role of formal social groups in cities when addressing private consumers. We will present findings from three in-depth case studies in the cities of Winterthur, Baden, and Zug. For each city, we identify and structure currently applied energy-efficiency and sufficiency activities to promote energy-saving of private consumers (document analysis). Based on our findings we suggest strategies how the three analysed cities may best address private consumers to achieve energy-saving. Special attention will be given to formal social groups and their potential to motivate their members to save energy. This may concern activities that are related to the purpose of the group (e.g., members of a sports club use public transport instead of individual cars to go to away games) and potentially also members’ private activities (e.g., use of public transport instead of car for private leisure activities). As an outlook, we formulate first ideas for real-world experiments to systematically test the influence of formal social groups on individual energy-saving behaviour.
URI: https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2015/9-dynamics-of-consumption/multiplying-energy-saving-behaviour-in-cities-through-formal-social-groups/
https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/5965
Fulltext version: Published version
License (according to publishing contract): Licence according to publishing contract
Departement: School of Engineering
Organisational Unit: Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE)
Institute of Sustainable Development (INE)
Published as part of the ZHAW project: NFP71: Förderung von energiesparendem Verhalten in Städten
Appears in collections:Publikationen School of Engineering

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Moser, C., Blumer, Y., Seidl, R., Carabias-Hütter, V., & Furrer, B. (2015). Multiplying energy-saving behaviour in cities through formal social groups [Conference paper]. In T. Laitinen Lindström & S. S. Borg & Co (Eds.), eceee Summer Study proceedings : eceee 2015 Summer Study – First fuel now (pp. 2133–2141). https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2015/9-dynamics-of-consumption/multiplying-energy-saving-behaviour-in-cities-through-formal-social-groups/
Moser, C. et al. (2015) ‘Multiplying energy-saving behaviour in cities through formal social groups’, in T. Laitinen Lindström and S.S. Borg & Co (eds) eceee Summer Study proceedings : eceee 2015 Summer Study – First fuel now, pp. 2133–2141. Available at: https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2015/9-dynamics-of-consumption/multiplying-energy-saving-behaviour-in-cities-through-formal-social-groups/.
C. Moser, Y. Blumer, R. Seidl, V. Carabias-Hütter, and B. Furrer, “Multiplying energy-saving behaviour in cities through formal social groups,” in eceee Summer Study proceedings : eceee 2015 Summer Study – First fuel now, 2015, pp. 2133–2141. [Online]. Available: https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2015/9-dynamics-of-consumption/multiplying-energy-saving-behaviour-in-cities-through-formal-social-groups/
MOSER, Corinne, Yann BLUMER, Roman SEIDL, Vicente CARABIAS-HÜTTER und Bettina FURRER, 2015. Multiplying energy-saving behaviour in cities through formal social groups. In: Therese LAITINEN LINDSTRÖM und Stockholm, Sweden BORG & CO (Hrsg.), eceee Summer Study proceedings : eceee 2015 Summer Study – First fuel now [online]. Conference paper. 2015. S. 2133–2141. ISBN 978-91-980482-6-1. Verfügbar unter: https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2015/9-dynamics-of-consumption/multiplying-energy-saving-behaviour-in-cities-through-formal-social-groups/
Moser, Corinne, Yann Blumer, Roman Seidl, Vicente Carabias-Hütter, and Bettina Furrer. 2015. “Multiplying Energy-Saving Behaviour in Cities through Formal Social Groups.” Conference paper. In Eceee Summer Study Proceedings : Eceee 2015 Summer Study – First Fuel Now, edited by Therese Laitinen Lindström and Stockholm, Sweden Borg & Co, 2133–41. https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2015/9-dynamics-of-consumption/multiplying-energy-saving-behaviour-in-cities-through-formal-social-groups/.
Moser, Corinne, et al. “Multiplying Energy-Saving Behaviour in Cities through Formal Social Groups.” Eceee Summer Study Proceedings : Eceee 2015 Summer Study – First Fuel Now, edited by Therese Laitinen Lindström and Stockholm, Sweden Borg & Co, 2015, pp. 2133–41, https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2015/9-dynamics-of-consumption/multiplying-energy-saving-behaviour-in-cities-through-formal-social-groups/.


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