EDOL will establish world-class Observatory of 2,000 representative GB homes. High resolution smart meter data and other contextual data, such as indoor temperature, occupancy and appliance-level information will be collected alongside longitudinal surveys of socio-demographic, attitudinal and behavioural trends during the transition towards net-zero.
The Observatory will be equipped with innovative and un-intrusive instruments, which undergo extensive testing and validating before deployment.
Data will by made available for research to inform technology and policy options to accelerate decarbonisation and to ensure the transition is equitable and affordable.
To this end, dedicated laboratories allow to test interventions against the EDOL Observatory as the control group. The first such laboratory focusses on the challenge of decarbonising heat in the residential sector. The laboratory will focus on heat pumps and other measures to assess their efficacy in different contexts.
In cases where data of observed energy use patterns do not agree with current energy model predictions, EDOL has the capacity to deploy forensic in-person visits for in-depth qualitative research. The combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is expected to result in a deeper understanding of energy-use and to deliver more effective interventions.
