The methodology of evaluation is based on the
research shown in the article “A discrete-event
simulation and continuous software evaluation
on a systemic quality model: An oil industry
case” [7]. However, this research is
concentrated on t he metrics to evaluate
educational features of the application.
To develop a set of metrics we had to examine
prevailing tendencies on the market. In the
following chapters it is explained why
prevailing tendencies are behavioural science
and gamification; how it helps to improve EMS;
what possibilities it uncovers for researchers and
energy companies in order to provide
environmental sustainability.
3 Tendencies on EMS market
It is important to follow the tendencies on the
market of EMS in order to avoid to reinvent the
wheel understanding that a good research can
provide new ideas.
The main aspects to be considered during the
development of EMS we highlighted are:
Simplicity: No difficult registration forms and
no payment. Usual householders are not ready to
spend their time or money on such applications,
yet. Application has to be opt-out (come from an
energy company as a d efault) [1] or vice versa
not to show any connection with energy
company because of common distrust of
householders to energy companies [8]. The
information should be given in easy-to-
understand and user-friendly format.
Interaction: Mainly defined by competition or
cooperation. (i) Competition: the householder
can compare his usage of energy with others:
friends from the social networks or the average
user. Has the possibility to use some filters to
compare his usage with others by the type of the
building, the type of the apartments etc. (ii)
Collaboration: users can give tips to other users
in order to save energy; also they can use and
save other users tips if they like them.
Motivation
Users can earn “coins” if their tips are popular
and then spend them on t he discounts in real
shops. The comparison itself makes the people
excited and involves them in competition of
saving the energy.
However, to apply these characteristics
correctly, we had to search for assistance in such
fields of science such as behavioural science and
gamification.
3.1 Behavioural science
Some of the global players on the EMS market
appears to start using behavioural science as a
key to engage customers in saving energy with
the purpose of reduction the cost of energy
production [9].
Systematic analysis and research of human
behaviour permits them to preview customers’
behaviour depending on the information we give
them or the feedback we provide.
For instance, OPOWER Home Energy Report
[10] outlines two key features: (i) ‘descriptive
norm’ that indicates where consumers fall,
relative to the average and their most efficient
peers and (ii) the ‘injunctive norm’ (provided in
the ‘How you’re doing’ box, i n this case a
smiley face –), that provides a social appraisal of
the household’s relative performance. However,
due to the book "Yes! 50 scientifically proven
ways to be persuasive" [11] unexpected
influence of giving a feedback to consumer can
be a “boomerang effect”: when low energy
householders’ consumption can increase energy
use due to social norms, encouraging energy-
efficient users to continue to outperform the
average [12].
With this consideration, the most important
aspects we highlighted related to a EMS
development are:
1. Show to the user that he is already caring
about energy conservation. This is what is called
foot-in-the-door technique. Once a person states
that he does care about sustainability and
understand that he wants to help, saving energy,
it will be easier to involve him in the future
participation due to his commitment to this first
statement. People wants to show consistency
because it is highly valued in our culture [13].
2. Involve users in the competition. Give notion
that others use the application and save energy.
Show that somebody in the closest neighbour
environment saves more energy (and money)
and teach how he achieved such success.
3. Teach appreciation. Give feedback on t he
successes and failures; give simple tips to
improve the results.
4. Divide information into easy-to-understand
and complete blocks; do not ask user to add
many data at once. Do it gradually [11].
These are four the most important aspects to
begin, but not the unique. Next we are going to
describe a powerful technique, gamification that
can be used to enhance the user experience.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on COMPUTERS
DOI: 10.37394/23205.2022.21.13
Anna Muchnik, Pau Fonseca I Casas,
Oxana Zamyatina, Josep Casanovas