A thorough literature study on a large selection of behaviour science-based energy efficiency interventions was carried out and has consolidated the existing knowledge in this domain. Based on this literature study, possible intervention strategies have been designed with the user partners to (a) identify which intervention strategies through which communication channels can be provided by which user partner, and (b) secure that all intervention strategies, channels, and target behaviours described in the DoA are covered in the intervention matrix. Following this activity, an intervention matrix has been developed, matching user partners to intervention packages. In parallel, a thorough research of existing datasets relevant for the topic of energy efficiency was conducted and a data-base for these data sets was developed. A comprehensive review of findings from related research projects was produced. Rules and procedures for implementing the intervention matrix for each user partner were defined. Furthermore, for securing the seamless and comparable implementation of the intervention pilots, a monitoring plan for the pilot implementation was developed, which is used by all partners for keeping control of the progress and potential barriers in implementation of the pilots. The randomized control trial procedures were defined and evaluation criteria developed together with the user partners.
Based on these inputs, 15 pilot studies with 6 countries addressing 12.500.000 households in Europe were implemented. The pilots covered topics as mobility behaviour (Izmir, Cluj-Napoca), electricity use (in several pilots in all countries), investment in energy efficiency (e.g. energy retrofitting webpages in Norway), and maintenance of appliances for energy efficiency (all countries). Through these pilots, substantial energy savings were achieved, investments triggered, and unique information on the contextual effectiveness of behavioral intervention techniques such as hand-on information, feedback, social norm information, competition, commitment, collective framing, and monetary incentives was gathered. This information was condensed into a list of policy recommendations.
In the second half of the project, broad dissemination activities have been undertaken communicating to a large group of policy makers (especially thorough the channels of the Covenant of Majors), to the energy industry (through the project's presence on the ENLIT industry fair), and extensive participation in conferences and workshops aiming at the scientific community and other stakeholders. A prototype of a intervention planning tool (the Energy Wizard) was developed that is able to recommend likely successful intervention strategies for people in different target groups, identified by they current, self-reported energy behaviour. This tool is now exploited further and a commercialization is explored. The behaviour science-informed intervention platform that was developed in the project has been commercialized with the software company already and is now used already in a new project and is planned to be used further.
