'Human behavior is the basis of the energy transition'

“Making hundreds of thousands of homes more sustainable yearly is not enough for the energy transition to succeed. We must take into account, behavioral changes among residents or users to live more sustainably and energy efficiently. Otherwise, in the end, it will only cost energy,” says Queena Qian, associate professor of management in the built environment at Delft University of Technology. She has been researching human behavior in the energy transition for years.

Human behavior as a starting point

Qian: “People are the basis of the energy transition.” The behavior of people who need to make decisions about sustainability and energy transition is crucial. Sometimes they are municipal officials or investment companies, and in other cases, they are private homeowners. “In addition to developing the innovations needed for the energy transition, we scientists must also consider the accessibility of the technology and its acceptance by people. Otherwise, the technology will not be implemented,” she continues.

Some people are risk-averse; for them, the risk associated with an investment is a decisive factor in decision-making. For those who have little time, processes shouldn’t be too extensive. To this extent, she outlines that the definition of feasible and affordable is different for everyone. “Sometimes it is about individual decisions and sometimes it is about collective ones, for example, in a homeowners' association. Then different interests come into play and we have to deal with this complex situation.”

Open communication

Qian concludes that everything stands or falls with good communication. “Adapting a communication strategy about the energy transition to its receivers is important. For example, for tenants in a housing cooperative, it is less important to know exactly how heat pump or heat grid works. They are more interested in the influence of the new heat solution on their energy bill and in the living comfort they get in return.”

It sounds like stating the obvious, but it is often overlooked. “The energy transition concerns everyone, from scientists to entrepreneurs and private individuals. We must do our best to understand and speak each other's language and keep pace with when to give what information to avoid information overload, particularly to the end users of energy renovation or heat transition projects. Besides, who can be the right messenger to create trust in the communication and the delivery of the information, is essential. There is no easy solution for this. People are often irrational – we have a certain feeling about things without any factual information to back these beliefs. That makes it even more difficult to understand human behavior, which is also constantly changing.”

According to Qian, behavior has to be included in researching and implementing the energy transition. “And that doesn't stop after an investment decision. After changes have been implemented, for example, the installation of heat pumps or a collective head grid in a neighborhood, residents or social tenants should be given guidance on how to live as energy-efficiently as possible with as much comfort as possible, to safeguard the guaranteed energy performance from energy renovation. Like a handbook for dealing with the interface of innovative technologies and how they work together efficiently. Only then will we really make an impact.”

Cooperation is indispensable

To be effective, scientific research must be translated into comprehensible information for various target groups. Qian is working hard on this. She has been the coordinator of the Domain Acceleration Team (DAT) Energy Transition within 4TU.Built Environment for six months now. 4TU.Built Environment is a partnership between the engineering faculties of the four Dutch technical universities. The team initiates new research and is also the point of contact for people from the industry, the Top Sectors, and the government.

“I was looking for a network where researchers who focus on the built environment come together. We cannot solve the social challenges we face in the built environment, such as the energy transition, on our own. This requires cooperation between the various universities through research projects. It is also important to involve industry partners. All of this is possible through 4TU.Built Environment,” she says.

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From science to practice

As the new coordinator, Qian has taken the lead in setting new short and long-term goals within the DAT. Human behavior and public support for the energy transition are essential themes in this regard. To begin with, the team aims to write a scientific position paper that explains the energy transition in the built environment. “In it, we will also describe our vision for the future. It will give academics an overview of the various components of the energy transition,” the associate professor says.

Course for students

However, Qian does not only want to conduct research into the energy transition. She also wants to convert this knowledge into education. “There is not (yet) a real systematic approach to education about the energy transition, as developments follow each other rapidly. That is why we want to create a course textbook within the DAT that focuses completely on the energy transition,” she explains. This can be a good basis for a summer school course on energy transition for international students, offered by 4TU DAT Energy Transition fellows to disseminate their expertise and knowledge.

In addition to the course for students, the DAT Energy Transition also has the ambition to write a children's book. “We want to explain to children in a simple way the challenges we face in society and how the energy transition is taking shape. So that children are aware of sustainability and circularity from an early age.”

It is reflected in all activities: Qian wants to spread knowledge about the energy transition so that as many people as possible can get to work on it. “It is also important to seek cooperation with universities and companies in other countries. Because climate change does not stop at national borders,” she concludes.