Hi everyone (and apologies if you've already seen an appeal like this on another social network):
If we haven't talked lately, I'm working for a nonprofit that promotes energy efficiency (the Alliance to Save Energy), and I've organized what bodes to be a great panel for SXSW Interactive 2012 -- on behavior-change campaigns and tactics driving both residential and commercial consumers to save energy.
That said, the panelists and I could use your help getting through the approval process! *Just click the link below to go the PanelPicker, create a login, and then give our panel a thumb's-up.* It's that easy!
(If you lose sight of the panel's page and need to find it quickly, use the search function and pick the category "Green Tech / Clean Energy".)
http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/13278
Panel: Rewards to Buycotts: Making Saving Energy Easier
Panelists:
Ian Yolles ‐ Chief Sustainability Officer, RecycleBank
Vincent Davis ‐ Director of Smart Energy Now, Duke Energy
Brent Schulkin ‐ Founder, Carrotmob
Kenny Mercado ‐ Sr. VP, Centerpoint Energy
Steven Goldman - Sr. Research Associate, Alliance to Save Energy (moderator)
Description: Reducing home or business energy consumption is one of the most direct ways to reduce one's impact on the environment and save money on utility bills. The greenest consumers in the U.S. already get how easy it is to use less energy, but their neighbors down the block, who get conflicting information through the news or work two jobs to make ends meet, don't have time to seek out that information themselves or don't get why it matters. Speakers from Carrotmob, RecycleBank, and utilities in North Carolina and Texas will discuss the variety of behavioral strategies, campaigns and technologies - including rewards programs, buycotts and in-home or in-building energy displays - their organizations are using to help commercial and residential consumers bring down their energy bills, and to help utilities service more customers without making billion-dollar investments in additional electricity generation capacity. This conversation will drill down into how strong user experience design, multiple feedback channels, social-based reinforcement and incentives all play a role in changing long-term behavior around energy use and generating persistent savings for customers.
Questions we'll answer:
Why conserve energy and what are the major hurdles to achieving large-scale energy savings?
What are the building blocks of current behavioral change campaigns around energy efficiency?
What tools or strategies are companies and utilities employing to reduce consumers' energy use?
What innovations in user design are helping grow program participation?
How are behavioral efficiency programs measured and verified, and when are they worth the effort?
Thanks in advance for your help (and your vote)! Voting closes September 2nd. And if you get inspired, please forward the invite to anyone you think might be interested!
