Advances in understanding energy consumption behavior and the governance of its change – outline of an integrated framework “Transforming today’s energy systems in industrialized countries requires a substantial reduction of the total energy consumption at the individual level. Selected instruments have been found to be effective in changing people’s behavior in single domains. However, the so far weak success story on reducing overall energy consumption indicates that our understanding of the determining factors of individual energy consumption as well as of its change is far from being conclusive. Among others, the scientific state of the art is dominated by analyzing single domains of consumption and by neglecting embodied energy. It also displays strong disciplinary splits and the literature often fails to distinguish between explaining behavior and explaining change of behavior. Moreover, there are knowledge gaps regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of the governance of individual consumption behavior and its change. Against this backdrop, the aim of this paper is to establish an integrated interdisciplinary framework that offers a systematic basis for linking the different aspects in research on energy related consumption behavior, thus paving the way for establishing a better evidence base to inform societal actions. ”

“Egypt, as with other developing countries, faces a major energy security problem, which strongly impacts all national plans for economic development. A sound energy strategy is crucially needed, and should be based on two pillars: first, boosting the production of clean energy from various renewable and non-renewable sources, and second, managing and rationalizing energy demand, with related reforms. Some steps were taken by previous Egyptian governments regarding these two pillars. In February 2008, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy of Egypt put a target of 20% of electricity to come from renewable energy resources by 2020. In July 2012, the Ministerial Cabinet approved both the Egyptian Solar Plan targeting 3500 MW of solar energy by 2027, and the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) to reduce energy consumption 5% during the period from 2012-2015 compared to the average consumption of the previous 5 years. We believe that these plans will not bring their expected fruits unless they are well orchestrated with other sectoral development plans in areas such as agriculture, transport, housing and services, amongst others. This paper aims to investigate the Egyptian NEEAP and assess whether the adopted national energy efficiency plan and the associated policies on all other development sectors adopted by the government have sound implications. We aim to find out whether the development policies with a focus on energy policy are set in an integrated or fragmented way.”

On March 25, SolvEGYPT held a workshop on design thinking around this challenge’s topic. Below is the interviews that were conducted during the workshop: Eslam Ali Currently, does not pay attention to conserving energy at home, he says he is too lazy to go back and turn off the light. Since his abuse of electricity at home has not affected him monetarily ( the bill is not too high as it is split between 4) he does worry too much about leaving lights and other electrical equipment on even if they are not being used. Believes as long as you are paying for the energy you use then you can use as much as you want. (El Ma3a Feloos Y-Abuse) Discovered that when he lived in Germany because he was less stressed about life and felt he was less busy and in a positive environment, he actually did pay attention to use energy consumption behaviors and made a conscious effort to conserve. Eslam is a 25-year-old student/ engineer who shares an apartment in Cairo. Eslam needs to feel he is responsible for his contribution to the energy situation and also to feel less stressed in his life to care enough to change his behaviors. Sami Daoud Uses a lot of electricity but is aware of his use Keeps AC on 24/7 because he gets very hot easily He values his comfort more than the cost of electricity and his overall effect on the environment… however, he is aware of the problem and open to a solution. Needs a solution to keep himself comfortable (not hot) but uses less electricity. Sami Daoud is a Middle Aged Man who lives with his mom and works in social development. He needs to live cost efficiently while being comfortable. Maie Elzeiny Moderate consumer of energy Uses several ACs at the same time Makes an effort to conserve energy but keeps a light on at night for safety purposes Light=safety which at that point trumps the conservation efforts. Energy consumption by light sensors is better in public places More fees, more consumption in summer Her parents pay the electricity bill Yellow lights are better than white lights She is not gonna add extra efforts to save energy Muhammad Mansour Mansour is a young professional in his 30s who’s living alone in a small apartment in October 6 City and goes out of his way to avoid waste, be efficient, and promote resource conservation. Priorities Convenience Avoiding unnecessary time-wasting errands (paying bills, going to the electricity company…) Minimizing waste Minimizing costs Advocating for conscious energy consumption as long as it’s not coming at the expense of personal convenience Main Motto: He hates waste in general and is obsessed with efficiency Doesn’t turn the lights on unless absolutely necessary Hates waste in water, food…etc. Big advocate of efficiency At ThePlanet (his workplace) he always argues with people who turn on / leave the lights on unnecessarily Background: Hating waste originally came from his family (his father and his grandmother) who are very conscious about not leaving/using all food leftovers. Coming from the rural side has an effect in terms of realizing that there’s a full circle when it comes to food (everything gets used eventually – nothing goes to waste) His family (in land/village) doesn’t have problems wasting water though; since water is super cheap and accessible (flooding land, for example) and aside from “utilizing food/food leftovers” they don’t have a problem wasting electricity, water…etc. as long as what is wasted is cheap and accessible His awareness expanded growing up with readings and learning more about the world which led to not accepting waste in general (energy, water…) What he does: Turns off the light after people While brushing his teeth → water tap is shut Talks to people about saving electricity (acts as an advocate) Takes the stairs without turning on the building lights He charged the electricity card once at the old price (paid upfront) to avoid unnecessary errands/time waste going to the electricity company and he has still quota left / the electricity card saved him money as well He uses all home appliances at the same time once every week to wash clothes, do dishes → doesn’t care then about energy savings as much as he cares about finishing home tasks He doesn’t care much when it comes to consuming fuel and leaving the AC on in his car Avoids unnecessary errands and standing in queues to pay his bills by paying a larger sum upfront What he feels: Disappointed/frustrated from all the waste Hates the fact that there are places in Egypt deprived of electricity and clean water What he thinks: The electricity smart cards are a positive development

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cJ08wOqloc Published on Jun 4, 2013 What's a proven way to lower your energy costs? Would you believe: learning what your neighbor pays. Alex Laskey shows how a quirk of human behavior can make us all better, wiser energy users, with lower bills to prove it.

install motion sensors in all commercial buildings and the public sector to reduce the electricity consumption.

My opinion in this matter is to raise electricity prices by removing the subsidies covering it. This will lead Egyptians to economize and live a greener life, not for the environment's sake, but for the sake of their wallets. Egyptians have shown time after time that they do not regard the environment as a significant topic and they take these issues for granted (the nile litering, air pollution, street waste...) They are immature in the subjects of nature conservation, water preservation and energy consumption. A strict regiment should be applied with penalties and fines but must always remain financial (not criminal). In order to see any significant decrease in electricity waste, the government should apply extra charges per kw and tax home owners for their excessive use. As for the government building and street lights, government officials reaponsible for these areas should be held accountable for these indescretions by applying tougher laws on government properties and tax payers money wasted (lol). As for the publuc transportation part, I cannot see the relevance so no comments on this part.

In order for me to start doing something differently I must first be aware of what I am doing. Hence I think there needs to be a campaign that starts by explaining what is energy consumption (yes that basic) to make people aware of what consumes energy . For example, leaving a charger in the wall when not using it etc... Once you made people aware of their own behavior you can start giving them tips on how to change it. It's baby steps and helping them understand that will truly make the difference. Putting the information on a microlevel let's people understand it on a personal level and feel personally involved rather than it being viewed as a national problem.

  With great power comes great responsibility, and with this cliché being said, I believe from a millennial point of view that we have a responsibility towards environmental wellness, My objective is to realize the sustainability goals without the gimmick feel of a green-labeled product; (e.g low fat labeled junk food does not really make it healthy) (Artificial intelligence) smart platforms Technology is integrating into our daily lives at an accelerated pace. Almost all services are streamed, Vehicles Park themselves, and the mailman looks like a flying crab with helicopter blades (Drones). Therefore, I think incorporating established AI solutions within our countries infrastructure is a solution. This platform will quantify the quality of life to help us better understand, and then influence consumer behavior to tailor products/services for the public and could enable companies to further improve their services towards existing clients and attract potential customers a. Consumer behavior linearly affects consumption rates, and without the self-monitory tools to guide more healthy robust habits, we are not advancing as human beings; instead we let machines take the wheel. The concept is called ESICA or ERICA- (Egypt Sustainable/Renewability Initiative for Consumption Awareness). Esica collects and then process the users’ consumption data of (power, water, etc.) with respect to time and then detect patterns to model the performance. The user is then ready to review the results in a timely fashion, via user-friendly interface (app, screen, etc.) and is able to set goals with gamification measures. An example of how the system would work is that after Esica determines systematic behavior (through data analysis and optional logs), it would notify the consumer that their activities are ready for review (via a screen-interface, or app). Afterwards it would offer the consumer optimization options. To enhance performance, users can set their goals either by selecting the usage percentage they want to improve in a certain category; or the system would provide a list of solutions to achieve pre-set goals per activity that would lead to cumulative long-term improvements. Quality of performance is sustained via ESICA, by alerting users when they are about to exceed the limit per activity. To motivate clients, gamification comes into play. As ESICA is exclusive within the interconnected setup (The area’s Community), a rewarding system with certain privileges could be applied between residents and commercial bodies, through memorandums of understanding. Finally, the information is shared with Egypt’s data acquirement program on timely basis (automatically). This elegant control panel is a coherent representative to the region’s beliefs, history and culture (Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advocated moderation in water while performing ablution; among many other examples related to consumption). Furthermore, the network’s acquired data is observed to give empirical statistics and figures beneficial for the country’s future projects (now that a whole community is involved, ESICA’s skills can later include commodities and purchasing patterns) to better allocate resources and forecast market behavior in additional areas of business. In addition, this data can be open sourced to play a leading role towards the ways of the future in water and energy consumption globally. This added value will give residents a form of distinction and point of attraction for others.   Now the real goal is to have such a platform completely manufactured and labeled “Made in Egypt”.

كنت اقرا في مقال للاهرام عن نجاح اللمبات الموفرة في توفير 70% من الكهرباء طبعا دا كلام الاهرام عندنا في البيت بنستخدمها لان هي الموجودة حاليا و ما حصلش حاجة و عند كل الناس حوالينا  نفس  الموضوع الاستهلاك الشهري متفاوت شوية. فمشعارف جابوها منين و ايه الدراسة العلمية اللي استندوا عليها. في بحثكم اتكلمتم عن توفير  استهلاك الطاقة و ان نظام النقل سيء فباضطر اركب عربيتي. وجهة النظر غايبها كثير و يمكن دا ارى فيه توجيه لسياسات الحكومة في رفع الدعم اللي خلاص هاينتهي الشهر القادم مثلا عندك المترو اللي الدولة قالت بيخسر و هو ما شاء الله منجم فلوس و الفلوس اللي بتدخل منه 3.6 مليون مواطن يوميا بتذكرة جنية و تكلفةالخط الرابع كانت 15 مليار جنية كانت تعمل نظم نقل افضل. لو انا موظف و هاركب سيارات نقل جماعي و مع زيادة اسعارالمحروقات بتزيد علي الاجرة و انا  كواخحد  عنده عربية تكلفة تشغيل السيارة بالنسبة لي تزيد شيء بسيط عن تكلفة ركوبي المواصلات و انا مش موظف كبير انا موظف في الصحة و مرتبي وضيع جدا. حضراتكم وقعتم في مغالطة في بحثكم انكم بتفترضوا انكم بترشدوا استهلاك الطاقة بس الحقيقة في طاقة هاتتبذل في المقابل انا مش علشان اوفر للحكومة اللي انا ما باستفيدش منها و رمياني في اخر البلاد اقوم ما اركبش العربية و اروح ماشي. لا انا ما ارحش الشغل اوفر؟ و دي طاقة مقابلة سلبية. نرجع للسؤال الاهم هو احنا بنستهلك طاقة زيادة عن باقي البشر؟ لا. و الحكومة رفعت الدعم و انا باستخدم و بادفع يبقى ليه متصورين ان دي مشكلة؟ ممكن تقوولي انا باشتري بعملة صعبة و دا خطر على اقتصاد البلد. دا غباء من الحاكم و الحكومة علشان ما بتقدرش العلم و العلماء و لازم تدفع ضريبة هذا التخلف. هل في افكار ؟ اكيد في افكار و في حلول. بس اللي حاصل على الصفحة دا اراه تهيئة اعلامية مش بحث علمي. طيب هانطلع بنتيجة ازاي ؟ حضرتك تعل لنا بحث تاني و تطلع لنا ارقام من وزارة الطاقة و بيتصرف كذا و نقعد ندرس الارقام بتاعتهم و الفلوس اللي بتتدفع و نرشد النفقات عند المديرين و نوزع الارباح بشيء من العدالة على الموظفين و ما نديش نص الارباح للمديرين و ما  نزورش الارقام و نقول في مكسب علشان الموظفين ياخدوا فلوس و البشوات يلهفوا نصها طب دا احننا كده هانتكلم في كل  ححاجة. هو احنا مش عايزين نغير و دا العلم. اكيد في تفاصيل و حاجات ما اتقالتش و في افكار بس الهدف اننا نتكلم علم.

I think that green energy can play an effective role in solving such national problem which has a negative impact on our economy. I have 2 solutions one for urban sites and one for rural sites. If we have a data about the amount of plastics and rubber wastes that are developing in Egypt we can convert them by pyrolysis into biodesel oil. This oil may be distillated and we can get many energy forms like solar, Ocatn 80 etc. The rural sites also can contibute in solving this energy consuming by 2 ways. Using the organic wastes in bioreactor to generate biogas. I think we can design the most optimum design for generating biogas. The second idea is using water hyacinth to generate biofuel.  

I think what needs to be done is to educate new generations on how to use energy efficiently. There is a practical course about the efficient use of energy during the first years in schools.

The modern urban life has altered the average citizen's behaviour and perspective towards infrastructure; we tend to rely - almost religiously - on the guidelines and procedures dictated by the government regarding the infrastructure of any owned property. So, when it comes to home electricity, we are conditioned to connecting to the city power grid according to procedure, and almost never consider alternative methods that were not promoted by the government. What the government should do is encourage the use of alternative every for powering homes and buildings through promoting the idea, explain its details and methodology, and its financial and environmental benefits. That way, people will have the incentive and 'permission' to use alternative energy. And with some government investment for alternative energy, the technology can be more affordable to the average citizen to make even more people join the movement, which, in return, will save the government a lot of expense from the load relieved off the regular power grid.

Transportation : -Coverage :I think if the public transportation covers all over the city the number of the cars will decrease . -Car sharing :  it's another way to solve the the problem of the cars crowding . Generally a good transportation plan solves problem of air pollution and Gas consumption. Education -Practicing  :  In most of our schools the students were taught to save the energy by theoretical methodologies but after the exams nearly all of this was gone with wind . I suggest making completion between students to find a smart ways for saving the energy like replacing a resource with another resource .

install motion sensors in all commercial buildings and the public sector to reduce the electricity consumption.

My opinion in this matter is to raise electricity prices by removing the subsidies covering it. This will lead Egyptians to economize and live a greener life, not for the environment's sake, but for the sake of their wallets. Egyptians have shown time after time that they do not regard the environment as a significant topic and they take these issues for granted (the nile litering, air pollution, street waste...) They are immature in the subjects of nature conservation, water preservation and energy consumption. A strict regiment should be applied with penalties and fines but must always remain financial (not criminal). In order to see any significant decrease in electricity waste, the government should apply extra charges per kw and tax home owners for their excessive use. As for the government building and street lights, government officials reaponsible for these areas should be held accountable for these indescretions by applying tougher laws on government properties and tax payers money wasted (lol). As for the publuc transportation part, I cannot see the relevance so no comments on this part.

In order for me to start doing something differently I must first be aware of what I am doing. Hence I think there needs to be a campaign that starts by explaining what is energy consumption (yes that basic) to make people aware of what consumes energy . For example, leaving a charger in the wall when not using it etc... Once you made people aware of their own behavior you can start giving them tips on how to change it. It's baby steps and helping them understand that will truly make the difference. Putting the information on a microlevel let's people understand it on a personal level and feel personally involved rather than it being viewed as a national problem.

  With great power comes great responsibility, and with this cliché being said, I believe from a millennial point of view that we have a responsibility towards environmental wellness, My objective is to realize the sustainability goals without the gimmick feel of a green-labeled product; (e.g low fat labeled junk food does not really make it healthy) (Artificial intelligence) smart platforms Technology is integrating into our daily lives at an accelerated pace. Almost all services are streamed, Vehicles Park themselves, and the mailman looks like a flying crab with helicopter blades (Drones). Therefore, I think incorporating established AI solutions within our countries infrastructure is a solution. This platform will quantify the quality of life to help us better understand, and then influence consumer behavior to tailor products/services for the public and could enable companies to further improve their services towards existing clients and attract potential customers a. Consumer behavior linearly affects consumption rates, and without the self-monitory tools to guide more healthy robust habits, we are not advancing as human beings; instead we let machines take the wheel. The concept is called ESICA or ERICA- (Egypt Sustainable/Renewability Initiative for Consumption Awareness). Esica collects and then process the users’ consumption data of (power, water, etc.) with respect to time and then detect patterns to model the performance. The user is then ready to review the results in a timely fashion, via user-friendly interface (app, screen, etc.) and is able to set goals with gamification measures. An example of how the system would work is that after Esica determines systematic behavior (through data analysis and optional logs), it would notify the consumer that their activities are ready for review (via a screen-interface, or app). Afterwards it would offer the consumer optimization options. To enhance performance, users can set their goals either by selecting the usage percentage they want to improve in a certain category; or the system would provide a list of solutions to achieve pre-set goals per activity that would lead to cumulative long-term improvements. Quality of performance is sustained via ESICA, by alerting users when they are about to exceed the limit per activity. To motivate clients, gamification comes into play. As ESICA is exclusive within the interconnected setup (The area’s Community), a rewarding system with certain privileges could be applied between residents and commercial bodies, through memorandums of understanding. Finally, the information is shared with Egypt’s data acquirement program on timely basis (automatically). This elegant control panel is a coherent representative to the region’s beliefs, history and culture (Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advocated moderation in water while performing ablution; among many other examples related to consumption). Furthermore, the network’s acquired data is observed to give empirical statistics and figures beneficial for the country’s future projects (now that a whole community is involved, ESICA’s skills can later include commodities and purchasing patterns) to better allocate resources and forecast market behavior in additional areas of business. In addition, this data can be open sourced to play a leading role towards the ways of the future in water and energy consumption globally. This added value will give residents a form of distinction and point of attraction for others.   Now the real goal is to have such a platform completely manufactured and labeled “Made in Egypt”.

كنت اقرا في مقال للاهرام عن نجاح اللمبات الموفرة في توفير 70% من الكهرباء طبعا دا كلام الاهرام عندنا في البيت بنستخدمها لان هي الموجودة حاليا و ما حصلش حاجة و عند كل الناس حوالينا  نفس  الموضوع الاستهلاك الشهري متفاوت شوية. فمشعارف جابوها منين و ايه الدراسة العلمية اللي استندوا عليها. في بحثكم اتكلمتم عن توفير  استهلاك الطاقة و ان نظام النقل سيء فباضطر اركب عربيتي. وجهة النظر غايبها كثير و يمكن دا ارى فيه توجيه لسياسات الحكومة في رفع الدعم اللي خلاص هاينتهي الشهر القادم مثلا عندك المترو اللي الدولة قالت بيخسر و هو ما شاء الله منجم فلوس و الفلوس اللي بتدخل منه 3.6 مليون مواطن يوميا بتذكرة جنية و تكلفةالخط الرابع كانت 15 مليار جنية كانت تعمل نظم نقل افضل. لو انا موظف و هاركب سيارات نقل جماعي و مع زيادة اسعارالمحروقات بتزيد علي الاجرة و انا  كواخحد  عنده عربية تكلفة تشغيل السيارة بالنسبة لي تزيد شيء بسيط عن تكلفة ركوبي المواصلات و انا مش موظف كبير انا موظف في الصحة و مرتبي وضيع جدا. حضراتكم وقعتم في مغالطة في بحثكم انكم بتفترضوا انكم بترشدوا استهلاك الطاقة بس الحقيقة في طاقة هاتتبذل في المقابل انا مش علشان اوفر للحكومة اللي انا ما باستفيدش منها و رمياني في اخر البلاد اقوم ما اركبش العربية و اروح ماشي. لا انا ما ارحش الشغل اوفر؟ و دي طاقة مقابلة سلبية. نرجع للسؤال الاهم هو احنا بنستهلك طاقة زيادة عن باقي البشر؟ لا. و الحكومة رفعت الدعم و انا باستخدم و بادفع يبقى ليه متصورين ان دي مشكلة؟ ممكن تقوولي انا باشتري بعملة صعبة و دا خطر على اقتصاد البلد. دا غباء من الحاكم و الحكومة علشان ما بتقدرش العلم و العلماء و لازم تدفع ضريبة هذا التخلف. هل في افكار ؟ اكيد في افكار و في حلول. بس اللي حاصل على الصفحة دا اراه تهيئة اعلامية مش بحث علمي. طيب هانطلع بنتيجة ازاي ؟ حضرتك تعل لنا بحث تاني و تطلع لنا ارقام من وزارة الطاقة و بيتصرف كذا و نقعد ندرس الارقام بتاعتهم و الفلوس اللي بتتدفع و نرشد النفقات عند المديرين و نوزع الارباح بشيء من العدالة على الموظفين و ما نديش نص الارباح للمديرين و ما  نزورش الارقام و نقول في مكسب علشان الموظفين ياخدوا فلوس و البشوات يلهفوا نصها طب دا احننا كده هانتكلم في كل  ححاجة. هو احنا مش عايزين نغير و دا العلم. اكيد في تفاصيل و حاجات ما اتقالتش و في افكار بس الهدف اننا نتكلم علم.

I think that green energy can play an effective role in solving such national problem which has a negative impact on our economy. I have 2 solutions one for urban sites and one for rural sites. If we have a data about the amount of plastics and rubber wastes that are developing in Egypt we can convert them by pyrolysis into biodesel oil. This oil may be distillated and we can get many energy forms like solar, Ocatn 80 etc. The rural sites also can contibute in solving this energy consuming by 2 ways. Using the organic wastes in bioreactor to generate biogas. I think we can design the most optimum design for generating biogas. The second idea is using water hyacinth to generate biofuel.  

I think what needs to be done is to educate new generations on how to use energy efficiently. There is a practical course about the efficient use of energy during the first years in schools.

The modern urban life has altered the average citizen's behaviour and perspective towards infrastructure; we tend to rely - almost religiously - on the guidelines and procedures dictated by the government regarding the infrastructure of any owned property. So, when it comes to home electricity, we are conditioned to connecting to the city power grid according to procedure, and almost never consider alternative methods that were not promoted by the government. What the government should do is encourage the use of alternative every for powering homes and buildings through promoting the idea, explain its details and methodology, and its financial and environmental benefits. That way, people will have the incentive and 'permission' to use alternative energy. And with some government investment for alternative energy, the technology can be more affordable to the average citizen to make even more people join the movement, which, in return, will save the government a lot of expense from the load relieved off the regular power grid.

Transportation : -Coverage :I think if the public transportation covers all over the city the number of the cars will decrease . -Car sharing :  it's another way to solve the the problem of the cars crowding . Generally a good transportation plan solves problem of air pollution and Gas consumption. Education -Practicing  :  In most of our schools the students were taught to save the energy by theoretical methodologies but after the exams nearly all of this was gone with wind . I suggest making completion between students to find a smart ways for saving the energy like replacing a resource with another resource .