Leaving a computer on full power when not in use wastes energy and money, and yet it remains a common practice. In order to examine the motivations behind this behavior, we studied the perceived and actual computer usage patterns of laptop and desktop users through daily surveys and instant messaging status records. We found that users generally seem unaware of their idle time, with 72% of users supplying inaccurate ranges for their daily idle time. Guided by our observations of computer idle periods in the context of users’ attitudes toward energy saving, we have developed three variations of a visual feedback system aimed at encouraging users to apply more energy conscious power settings on their computers. We plan to test these feedback systems with users to determine the effectiveness of personalized suggestions in causing user behavior change.

Report:

Displaying Personalized Feedback to Encourage Energy-Saving Computer Usage (pdf)