The Villanovan, the student newspaper of Villanova University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania recently rated a plasma screen display of the energy consumption of each hall of residence as its second best technological achievement. Part of a competition between the buildings for lowest energy consumption figures, the touch screen displays highlight the water and energy usage interactively allowing real time performance feedback.
Can we scale up this competitive element in the community in general? Using areas that fit with the energy companies' distribution networks, could we monitor individual streets and/or suburbs, provide them with regular and visible multi-channel feedback to encourage energy efficiency? The key here is the visibility of the feedback. Once you can see the results easily, there's a real buzz that comes from seeing an improvement. The feedback would trigger our natural urge for innovation. Suddenly there becomes an incentive for people to come together to negotiate a bulk discount on solar water heaters, to share tips for recycling water across the back fence or to invent a new power-saving gizmo in the garden shed.
Make the information accessible and the rest comes naturally. We don't have to have all of the answers, just to create the right environments for self-organisation.
Friday 3 October 2008
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