envision charlotte
Energy Consumption Display Using Information Aesthetic
System Description
The ‘Envision Charlotte’ project aims to reduce energy use in Uptown Charlotte by 20% in five years. Envision Charlotte is designed to facilitate feedback loops that allow users to understand how their behavior affects energy usage and modify their actions accordingly. I proposed the details for the development of a conceptual model that focused on the systems information aesthetics. These aesthetics were used to help users understand their electricity usage in real time for the purpose of curtailment of energy usage. The system was deployed it in UNC Charlotte Center City Building. This system shows how data can be represented in insightful and appealing ways
Design Goal
We concerned what factors affect an individual’s ability to curtail energy usage and what kinds of visualization strategies are most effective in communicating energy consumption data. Real time data display can be a potent tool for increasing conservation behavior.
Information Aesthetic
Dataset
We obtained the dataset from Building Performance Compass. As they represent detailed energy usage, energy savings analysis, energy and carbon reporting, peer comparison, benchmarking, and job tracking of UNC Charlotte City Center Building.
Interface Design
Initial Design
Energy information for users can be complex and uninteresting. This digital display did not achieve the desired effect and engage people. The users did not attend to utilize the display because they tended not to perceive information on which they do not have reason to focus.
Design Ideation
Energy Information Display
the interest of the user can be drawn, if the circulation of energy is actually consumed in a building would be shown.
If energy consumption is less than the recommended energy consumption, there will be a green light and a safe message. If energy consumption is more than recommended energy consumption, there will be a red light and warning message while the internal energy circulation would move around very fast. It is expected that it will have users promptly feel that current energy consumption is high and take immediate energy-saving action.
Energy Drop Game
The game interface was designed to be entirely responsible to engage users. Players have to catch the falling all sorts of energy icons with the catcher which is located in the lower part of the screen. Energy drops (Water, Electricity, and Recycle) spawn randomly at the top of the screen every second and accelerate downwards. Players can drag the catcher horizontally via the touch motion.
Sketch Information
‘Sketch information’ application effectively is that you can leave notes or ideas to interact simultaneously with energy data on a large display surface.
Final Working System
I focused on the bubble data visualization that is the animated bubble rendering designed to show energy consumption trends over time in two dimensions. The X-axis shows date, the Y-axis show time, and the bubble size indicate electricity consumption. The energy usage over time is shown as an animation over time, with the bubbles changing position and size to indicate the current data values at a particular time. This is a very dramatic way to show energy usage. The effect adds a sense of excitement to the data. By directing the audience’s attention, the presenter can encourage them to follow the data points of most interest.
User Study
-
Lack of study in interactive and engagement
-
Only serves the electricity data: other types of energy will be further investigated
-
Need to verify accuracy of the interface for the future
-
Develop interpretive mapping techniques to more effectively convey meanings underlying datasets