Browsing by Subject "user comfort"

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is one of the EU's top priorities for climate goals as it is for Helsinki. Emissions from heating alone stand for over half of the total emissions in Helsinki, presenting smart heating as an excellent opportunity to reduce both energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Smart heating has gained attention as a means for reducing energy consumption due to its increased energy efficiency and automatic function. Previous studies confirm users having a more significant impact on residential heating consumption than previously considered. However, there is less understanding of what factors influences the user while using smart heating and how smart heating impacts the user. This study aims to contribute to better understand the different influencing factors by focusing on heating behavior and user experience with smart heating thermostats in a residential apartment building in Lauttasaari, Helsinki. A modified version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT) is used as a base. The model uses the original categories along with two added categories. Instead of using the traditional questionnaire as a method, this research uses semi-structured interviews to get a deeper perspective on the experiences in the post-implementation stage. The results indicate the most evident user experience influences to be information, trust, and the use of itself. Each user's life situation has an impact on the indoor temperature and the heating schedule. The smart thermostat increases control over indoor temperatures and individual heating possibilities due to more setting options. By gaining more control, the smart thermostat enabled the user to disregard the heating by letting the smart thermostat work in the background. Even with an increase of control, some of the participants experienced difficulties using the mobile application. Since this study is limited due to short follow-up time and small sample size, more comprehensive and in-depth research is required for the results to apply to a general population. This study shows a new point of view for influences towards the use of smart thermostats and brings up the potential benefits it can have for the city of Helsinki.