22nd November 2017, 16.00-18.00
The energy-time-bind
Kimberley O’Sullivan, University of Otago, Wellington: DEMAND visitor
Does working from home save energy? Discussions of this topic in research and policy have largely focussed on transport savings and potential energy demand reductions in the commercial sector. Debates like these often neglect the additional energy required for heating (or cooling) New Zealand’s poor quality housing stock. Initial analysis of a small number of interviews suggests that energy use while working from home is strongly influenced by conjunctions of time, tasks, and spaces. The concept of the energy-time-bind helps describe the energy consequences of everyday time pressures, including those associated with home working.
Read more about Kim’s work: The nomenclature of working from home and its relationship to energy demand.