CAREER: Multi-Level Occupancy Intervention, Simulation and Education for Energy Reduction in Existing Buildings

1349921(梅纳萨)。尽管技术取得了重大进步，但现有建筑仍然是最大的能源消耗者和有害温室气体的排放者。虽然有人认为教育和信息共享是适当的居住干预策略，以减少能源，但还没有进行实证研究，以了解(1)不同的建筑居住者如何对干预策略做出反应，(2)什么居住特征影响这种反应，(3)如何用其他策略来补充教育以实现长期的节能，以及(4)如何利用模拟来为建筑利益相关者开发一个功能和教育环境。这项职业资助的目标是解决研究和教育方面的这一差距，以便从根本上了解哪些居住特点和社会关系对大幅减少建筑物的能源消耗起到关键的调解作用。调查员将进行基础研究，设计适当的工具，并开发教育材料，以便在建筑物的占用水平上有效地实施节能干预战略。本研究旨在为理解建筑物占有率MOA(动机、机会和能力)和SNT(社会网络拓扑)在决定干预策略有效性中所起的中介作用做出基础性贡献。这将通过一种科学的方法来实现，以定量衡量入住率、MOA和SNT。该项目的其他重要目标是确定针对建筑物居住者的各种能源干预战略之间的主要根本区别，并在这些战略的有效性与具体的建筑群之间建立联系。这将大大减少在建筑物中选择和实施能源干预策略所需的时间和精力，因为它提供了对给定的入住率、MOA和SNT特征可以应用哪些干预策略的基本科学理解。最后，拟议的研究目标是开发、测试和验证一个模型，该模型允许决策者了解建筑节能是如何受到建筑影响的？入住率MOA水平、SNT和干预策略的正确选择。这种理解和建模占用MOA和SNT在处理干预策略中包含的信息方面所起的调解作用的方法，旨在产生有效、经济和可持续的方法，以减少建筑物的能源消耗。通过不同媒体传播项目成果将会产生重大影响，教育决策者选择哪种干预战略来实现长期有效的建筑节能。作为该项目的一部分，这位研究员将利用密歇根大学的现有资源，实现她的研究和教育活动的完全整合。这些资源包括：(1)工程学与教研究中心(CRLT-Engineering)，(2)由美国国家科学基金会资助的密歇根·路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟(MI-LSAMP)，(3)工程外联与参与办公室(OEOE)和玛丽安·萨拉·帕克学者(MSP)计划，以及(4)本科生研究机会计划(UROP)。后三项合作将使研究人员能够指导STEM学科中代表不足的少数族裔，他们有可能继续攻读研究生学位。除了传统的教育，这项研究的结果将通过在线课程向执业专业人员传播。

1349921 (Menassa). Despite significant advances in technology, existing buildings are still the highest consumers of energy and emitters of harmful greenhouse gases. While it is argued that education and information sharing are appropriate occupancy intervention strategies for energy reduction, no empirical research has been done to understand (1) how different building occupants respond to intervention strategies, (2) what occupancy characteristics influence this response, (3) how to supplement education with other strategies to achieve long term energy reduction, and (4) how simulation can be used to develop a functional and educational environment for building stakeholders. The goal of this CAREER grant is to address this gap in research and education to achieve a fundamental understanding of what occupancy characteristics and social relationships play a key mediation role to induce significant energy use reduction in buildings. The investigator will perform basic research, design appropriate tools, and develop educational materials to enable effective implementation of energy reduction intervention strategies at the occupancy level in buildings. This research is targeted to result in fundamental contributions to understand the mediation role that building occupancy MOA (Motivation, Opportunity and Ability) and SNT (Social Network Topology) play in determining the effectiveness of intervention strategies. This is to be achieved through a scientific approach to quantitatively measure the occupancy MOA and SNT. Additional important targeted contributions of this project are to identify the key fundamental differences among various energy intervention strategies aimed at building occupants, and to establish a correlation between the effectiveness of these strategies and specific building clusters. This would significantly reduce time and effort required to choose and implement energy intervention strategies in buildings by providing a fundamental scientific understanding of what intervention strategies can be applied for given occupancy MOA and SNT characteristics. Finally, the proposed research targets to develop, test and validate a model that allows decision makers to understand how reducing energy in their buildings is influenced by the buildings? occupancy MOA levels, SNT and proper selection of intervention strategies. This approach to understanding and modeling the mediation role that occupancy MOA and SNT play in processing information included in intervention strategies aims to result in effective, economical and sustainable approaches to reduce energy use in buildings. The dissemination of the project results through different media will seek to have a significant impact of educating decision makers about which intervention strategies to choose to achieve long term and effective energy reduction in their building. As part of this project, the investigator will leverage existing resources at the University of Michigan to achieve full integration of her research and educational activities. These resources include: (1) The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering (CRLT-Engineering), (2) the NSF-funded Michigan Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (MI-LSAMP), (3) the Office of Engineering Outreach and Engagement (OEOE) and Marian Sarah Parker Scholars (MSP) Program, and (4) the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). The latter three collaborations will allow the investigator to mentor underrepresented minorities in STEM disciplines, with them potentially moving on to pursue graduate degrees. Beyond traditional education, the results of this research will be disseminated through online course offerings to practicing professionals.