
While part of reducing resource consumption in buildings involves increasing efficiency and capital improvements in buildings, another important aspect that is often overlooked is occupant behavior. Lucid Design Group, a company founded on principles of using information to effect behavioral changes in the direction of sustainability, has developed software for gathering building performance information from multiple sources (utility meters, building automation systems, third-party dataloggers), storing and processing these data, and displaying it in real-time, web-based applications. Tracking real-time resource consumption for building occupants can spark conservation and also serve as a valuable educational tool. Experiments at Oberlin College in Ohio demonstrated a 56% reduction in electricity use because of real-time information feedback. This presentation will survey several projects including Oberlin and describe the software technology for data acquisition and display.