About the project

EMPOWER stands for Empowering Empathic Energy Efficiency design - it is a 2-year project and is one of four innovative research programmes receiving investment from the Technology Strategy Board and EPSRC following a week-long creative workshop on the theme of user-centred design for energy efficiency in buildings in spring 2010. 

Led by More Associates in collaboration with WMG at University of Warwick and Brunel University, EMPOWER focuses on better understanding the energy-use implications of people's everyday interaction behaviour within workplaces.  Building on More Associates' innovative CarbonCulture platform already in use by several UK government departments including DECC, Defra and HM Treasury, the project will develop a novel user-centred product/service system to reduce energy demand.

In a unique approach, the project will integrate insights from the latest work on design for behaviour change with a programme of empathic, user-driven product/service development.   A series of participatory design workshops with real end-users and stakeholders, will provide a sound basis for commercial realisation and exploitation. The expected benefits from better energy efficiency include both financial savings and CO2 emissions reduction, while the strong emphasis on engagement with building users will improve working environments.

Funding

EMPOWER was funded following a competition run by the Technology Strategy Board's (TSB) Low Impact Buildings Inovation Platform, which aims to help the UK construction industry deliver buildings with a much lower environmental impact.  EPSRC also invested in the projects.  The funding was allocated using the 'sandpit' process.  The competitive element was to attend a 5-day creative workshop known as a 'sandpit'.  Industrial and academic attendees are encouraged to work collaboratively in exploring problems and uncovering novel solutions.