-To reduce energy consumption in buildings, researchers have in the recent decade explored the potential of changing occupants' energy consumption behaviors using eco-feedback technologies. Energy consumption behavior is a type of consumer behavior, which has been proven cultural-specific in prior research. This paper aims to examine the impact of cultural differences on the effectiveness of ecofeedback technologies in reshaping building occupants' energy consumption behaviors. Energy consumption monitoring instruments were installed in four student dormitories, three resided by Chinese students and one by international students. The daily energy consumption of every unit in the dormitories was monitored. A web-based eco-feedback system was developed, which was responsible for sending weekly email reminders to students participating in the study and, upon their logins, providing them with their detailed energy consumption data as well as those of their peers. Changes in the students' energy consumption behaviors were analyzed, and correlated with their cultural background, which was assessed using a survey instrument designed based on Hofstede's dimensions of culture. Results proved that cultural background assessed in certain dimensions were significantly correlated with the effectiveness of eco-feedback technologies. The results suggested that eco-feedback technologies should be tailored to specific cultural context to maximize their effectiveness in building energy conservation.

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-Researchers have developed various eco-feedback systems that aim at reshaping energy consumption behaviors of building occupants for energy conservation. Different technologies have been used to build eco-feedback systems through which occupants receive and respond to eco-feedback information. One emerging technology that has been envisioned for this purpose but rarely tested in practice is mobile app. This paper aims to examine the possibility of utilizing mobile app in eco-feedback system, and assess its effectiveness, benchmarked against web technology, a technology that has been proven effective in prior research for delivering ecofeedback information. Two eco-feedback systems were developed in this study and implemented in three student dormitories on a university campus. These systems used web technology and mobile app, respectively, to deliver the same eco-feedback information, and they differed significantly in their level of accessibility. Participants of a 15-week experiment were divided into two groups, each provided with access to one of the two systems. Experiment results showed that mobile app-based eco-feedback system led to relatively more intensive engagement of the participants with the system, and was significantly more effective in promoting building energy conservation.