First Advisor

Nancy J. Chapman

Term of Graduation

Spring 1989

Date of Publication

Spring 6-6-1989

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Urban Studies

Department

Urban Studies

Language

English

Subjects

Energy consumption -- Northwest (Pacific) -- Psychological aspects, Energy consumption -- Economic aspects -- Northwest (Pacific), Dwellings -- Heating and ventilation -- Economic aspects, Energy consumption -- Economic aspects

Physical Description

1 online resource (3, vi, 189 pages)

Abstract

Data obtained from two surveys of 283 residents of recently built homes in the Pacific Northwest were used to examine winter thermostat setting behavior. Attitude scales along with demographic, economic and dwelling structure data were used to estimate models of daytime, nighttime and average temperature setting choices. Two series of models were estimated: a partial model using demographic, dwelling structure characteristics and economic data; and an integrated model including the attitude scales.

The results of these analyses demonstrated that the inclusion of data on respondent attitudes toward comfort, conservation, health and cost control significantly improved the explanatory power of the models for daytime and average temperature settings. The study also revealed that daytime and nighttime temperature setting choices are differently determined.

Daytime settings were significantly higher for households with a preference for comfort, for elderly householders, for households which say they are concerned about energy conservation, for those that use a heat pump and for those which indicate little intention to reduce their thermostat settings to save energy. In contrast, nighttime temperature setting choices were significantly lower for households with no young children in the home, those who do not use an electric heat pump, those with smaller homes and those where the respondent was the person who set the thermostat often or usually.

The estimated models of thermostat setting choice demonstrate that attitudinal data are important components in understanding the energy consumption behavior of thermostat setting. The study demonstrates the value in assessing and measuring attitudes and intentions and recommends a streamlined series of attitude questions for future energy studies.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Comments

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43178

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