Redeus is an app that helps users conduct energy audits and monitor their home's efficiency. It uses gamification to motivate users to improve their home efficiency ratings, which can lead to reduced power consumption and lower monthly energy bills.
PECO Energy Company has identified an increase in the demand on the power grid to be as a result of higher electricity consumption and wastage. The organization currently runs an Energy Audit program to sensitize residents on their energy consumption in a bid to lower it and make their homes more energy efficient. They also run a Next best action program to advise residents on home efficiency tasks and steps to follow to maintain their efficiency level.
Existing Solutions
Some identified existing solutions include the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, use of power saving alternatives, metering systems and distribution control, awareness campaigns, and incentivizing energy generation.
Objectives
Ideation
1. Going off grid to encourage self generation and reduced dependence.
2. Monitoring the use of appliances with the ability to switch off remotely.
3. Showing users the results/impact of their extended use of the initiatives and rewarding this.
Engagement
Creating a smart home power monitoring and device control platform which can be linked to all devices allowing users monitor real time data on energy usage, savings as well as ability to switch off devices.
Delineate Target Behaviours
Designing Targeted Solutions
I developed a platform designed to conduct virtual energy auditing by implementing gamification elements to track Power usage, offer rewards in form of badges and redeemable discounts for maintaining home efficiency. With the developed system, users are encouraged to save energy through peak shaving, replacing inefficient devices with more efficient ones.
Furthermore, it encourages home owners to adopt and install green energy sources like solar panels and inverters to reduce the load on the grid as well as encourage community aggregation for power generation and supply within those communities.
Measuring Outcomes
Philadelphia County has a total electricity consumption of 17,774,036 MWh with Redeus having a projected percentage reduction in power consumption per house hold of at least 20%. The platform is estimated to drop that consumption by a minimum of 3,554,807.2 MWh once delivered at scale for its 1,603,797 residents.
Through the development of this application, I carefully analyzed concepts of behavior-change and intrinsic motivation to influence user engagement and reduced energy consumption. Thus I was able to succesfully develop this gamified digital product to increase home energy efficiency.
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