Reduction of Electricity Costs in Medway NHS by Inducing Pro-Environmental Behaviour Using Persuasive Technology

Abstract

Hospitals represent a busy environment with the majority of the medical operations relying on electricity, for example lighting and medical equipment. Hence, it is important to conserve it to ensure high quality of services, improve patients' wellbeing as well as to the reduction of the hospitals' carbon footprint and the impacts on the environment. The studies carried out in hospitals considered the use of renewable energy or the use of power efficient equipment to tackle the energy problem. The challenge remains open in how to tackle the energy problem in a hospital through behavioural change. This study represents a step into reducing electricity costs of Medway NHS Foundation Trust (MNFT) in the UK. The proposed idea is to use technology to persuade MNFT staff to monitor their behaviour and with the right motive, from selected and appointed energy delegates, sustain a pro-environmental behaviour. This paper describes the methodology and system proposed to reduce electricity costs in MNFT by inducing pro-environmental behaviour with the aid of technology. This involves a smart electricity metering system to collect and communicate energy data to a centralised server that pushes the data onto a dedicated web interface. Furthermore, addressing the psychological factors by appointing energy delegates to monitor the consumption, in selected areas, as well as motivate the staff members. In addition, monitoring human dynamics and analysing it against energy data to identify a relation between occupancy and electricity consumption trends in hospital wards.

A Review of Technical Standards for Smart Cities

“…Connected communities are achieved with smart buildings. Enhanced social programs and innovated health care sector are data-driven [37]; 5.…”

Identifying the Lack of Energy-Conscious Behaviour in Clinical and Non-Clinical Settings: An NHS Case Study

“…Management of energy consumption and carbon emissions has been an ongoing challenge for years and has lead to high energy costs and negative impacts on the environment [1,2]. Presently, excessive energy consumption and carbon emissions pose environmental threats on a domestic and non-domestic level in the United Kingdom (UK); with energy contributing to both economic and social development [3], controlling it is crucial.…”

“…The data collected during the study and analysed in this paper includes half-hourly electricity consumption, occupancy numbers by members of staff and patients, responses to relevant questions from a "Views and Ideas on Energy Usage and Behaviour" questionnaire, and the results of an equipment audit performed outside of working hours. The paper builds on the work in [2], which presented a framework designed to address the energy usage behaviour issue in MWNFT. Moreover, the work in [2] highlighted the main building blocks of the system and the techniques implemented to collect the data during the study period.…”

“…The paper builds on the work in [2], which presented a framework designed to address the energy usage behaviour issue in MWNFT. Moreover, the work in [2] highlighted the main building blocks of the system and the techniques implemented to collect the data during the study period. Nevertheless, the focus in the current paper is on analysing the electricity and occupancy data, collected during the baseline period of the field study, in order to identify the possible presence of negative energy usage behaviour.…”

Design of an Occupancy Monitoring Unit: A Thermal Imaging Based People Counting Solution for Socio-Technical Energy Saving Systems in Hospitals

“…This paper presents a proposed system, the Occupancy Monitoring Unit (OMU), that provides data on occupancy by counting the people entering and exiting a confined space in a building. Whilst the aim is to design it for a hospital, as part of a bigger research project that studies the impact of technology on pro-environmental behaviour [2], to count people in a ward/department throughout the day; the system can be used in other types of buildings such as universities, commercial buildings and in public transportation. The design, implementation and testing of a prototype OMU to provide data on occupancy for analysis and management of energy consumption is presented.…”