Sustainable energy practices at work: Understanding the role of workers in energy conservation

Energy conservation has become a very relevant social issue. There is a growing body of knowledge in the literature focused on supporting consumers in reducing their personal carbon footprint in their domestic context. In the workplace, however, most of the research focuses on optimizing formalized production processes and investing in energy efficient equipment. This leaves the question open of the role of workers in energy conservation. To explore this question, and overcome this bias, we conducted a series of participatory action research studies in which we introduced new smart metering technologies in a large organization and observed their contribution in supporting sustainable energy practices at work. In the paper we discuss the opportunity and risks posed by using this technology to make energy practices more transparent.