Mapping and quantifying the impacts of digital applications on energy use

Conference item

The impacts of digitalisation on energy use are potentially large but uncertain. In this paper, we map, visualise, and quantify the impact mechanisms linking digital applications in buildings to outcomes that explain estimated reductions or increases in energy use. Digital applications provide functionality through different mechanisms. As examples, they coordinate supply and demand and so better integrate energy use into networks or systems of provision (e.g. demand response). They substitute for energy-intensive activity (e.g. teleworking). They control or optimise performance (e.g. building energy management systems). They reduce friction or effort (e.g., smart heating). Which mechanisms have the largest impacts on energy use? We synthesise evidence from the literature to compile a dataset of 40 quantitative impact estimates for seven different digital use cases in buildings ranging from energy management systems and smart lighting to disaggregated energy feedback and peer-to-peer platforms for trading goods. First, we propose a set of seven mechanisms and five outcomes that explain the variety of ways digital applications impact energy use. We then develop impact pathways linking specific mechanisms to outcomes for each digital application. For example, smart heating provides control (mechanism) that helps avoid energy waste (outcome), but also reduces effort (mechanism) that rebounds in the form of more heating (outcome). Second, we visualise the impact pathways in wire diagrams that demonstrate the complexity of linkages, and the dominance of certain mechanisms such as the integration of building energy use into networks which is a distinctive feature of digitalisation. Third, using a larger more diverse sample of impact estimates for 23 digital applications not just in buildings but also in transport and food domains, we use meta-analysis to quantify which mechanisms have the largest impact on energy use, controlling for differences between types of digital application and variation in study design. Across all digital applications, we find the substitute mechanism results in the largest reductions in energy use (median of -45 %) and the optimise mechanism leads to the largest increases in energy use (median of +2 %). Understanding the mechanisms through which digitalisation impacts energy use in buildings helps guide innovation activity towards functionality linked to energy savings, and emphasises the need to tackle rebound outcomes for certain types of digital application.

Authors: Wilson, C; Pettifor, H; Agnew, M; Coroama, V

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
• Host title: Proceedings of the eceee 2024 Summer Study on energy efficiency: sustainable, safe and secure through demand reduction
• Pages: 1033-1041
• Chapter number: Panel: 8. Products, systems and technologies to decarbonise buildings
• Series: eceee Summer Study proceedings
• Publication date: 2024-06-10
• Event title: eceee 2024 Summer Study on energy efficiency: sustainable, safe and secure through demand reduction
• Event location: Chamouille, France
• Event website: https://www.eceee.org/library/conference_proceedings/eceee_Summer_Studies/2024/
• Event start date: 2024-06-10
• Event end date: 2024-06-15
• EISSN: 2001-7960
• ISSN: 1653-7025
• EISBN: 9789198827033
• ISBN: 9789198827026
• Language: English