dc.contributor.author	Pohl, Johanna
dc.contributor.author	Frick, Vivian
dc.contributor.author	Finkbeiner, Matthias
dc.contributor.author	Santarius, Tilman
dc.date.accessioned	2023-02-03T11:30:21Z
dc.date.available	2023-02-03T11:30:21Z
dc.date.issued	2022-04-07
dc.description.abstract	Reducing overall household energy consumption through the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) can play an important role in the transformation towards sustainable consumption patterns, e.g. through the optimisation of energy-consuming processes. The challenge in the environmental assessment of ICT applications is to also consider their use-specific environmental effects, as these can be decisive for overall results. Using the example of smart heating, we therefore analyse the environmental performance of a sample of 375 smart home systems (SHS) in Germany and show how the life cycle assessment (LCA) can be extended to include various use-specific effects such as choice of products and individuals' behaviour when using the product. In an interdisciplinary study design, we combine life cycle modelling and behavioural science to systematically include use-specific parameters into the modelling, and to interweave these results with user characteristics such as sociodemographics and user motivation. Our results are heterogenous: For the impact category Climate Change (GWP) we find that having smart heating can lead to large savings in particular cases. On average, however, smart heating does not lead to significant benefits for GWP, but neither does it represent an additional burden. For Metal Depletion Potential (MDP), we find that smart heating is always an additional burden, as heating optimisation has almost no reduction potential for MDP. Our results have a wide range due to large differences in use patterns in the sample. Depending on the impact category, both number of devices of the SHS as well as heating temperature are decisive. Regression analysis of our assessment results with user characteristics shows that differences in MDP and GWP of SHS size can be explained by income, and, in addition, differences in GWP of net heating energy savings can be explained by user motivation. Our results thus underline that the standard scenarios for user behaviour assumed in LCA modelling should be well justified. Future interdisciplinary research should further explore the links between use-specific approaches in LCA and users' environmental behaviour and motivation.	en
dc.description.sponsorship	BMBF, 01UU1607A, Zwischen Rebound-Risiken und Suffizienz-Chancen: Herausforderungen der Entkopplung von Umweltverbrauch und Wirtschaftswachstum am Beispiel der Digitalisierung von Dienstleistungen. Teilprojekt 1: Gesellschaftspolitik und Produktion
dc.identifier.eissn	2352-5509
dc.identifier.uri	https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/18138
dc.identifier.uri	https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-16931
dc.language.iso	en
dc.relation.ispartof	10.14279/depositonce-16451
dc.rights.uri	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
dc.subject.ddc	629 Andere Fachrichtungen der Ingenieurwissenschaften	de
dc.subject.other	information and communication technology	en
dc.subject.other	smart home	en
dc.subject.other	user behaviour	en
dc.subject.other	user motivation	en
dc.subject.other	heating energy demand	en
dc.subject.other	life cycle assessment	en
dc.title	Assessing the environmental performance of ICT-based services: Does user behaviour make all the difference?	en
dc.type	Article
dc.type.version	acceptedVersion
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi	10.1016/j.spc.2022.04.003
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitle	Sustainable Production and Consumption
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublishername	Elsevier
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublisherplace	Amsterdam
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pageend	838
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pagestart	828
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume	31
dcterms.rightsHolder.reference	§ 38 (4) UrhG
tub.accessrights.dnb	domain	*
tub.affiliation	Fak. 3 Prozesswissenschaften::Inst. Technischen Umweltschutz::FG Technischer Umweltschutz / Sustainable Engineering
tub.publisher.universityorinstitution	Technische Universität Berlin

Assessing the environmental performance of ICT-based services: Does user behaviour make all the difference?

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