Clarkson University
IN-4: Innovation 4

The Clarkson Smart Housing testbed includes four currently sensored buildings in the on-campus Woodstock Village apartment complex. Each building has six separate 4 or 6 person apartment units for a total of 128 residents each year. Recent renovations to these buildings provided the opportunity to install utility use and environmental quality sensors to create the research test bed. The basic building renovations included a new interior layout with exterior walls reinforced and insulated with spray foam. The exterior upgrades include a new roof with hip/ridge accents, exposed rafters, and bridging features that captures a real Adirondack feel. The commitment of the University and partners (IBM, NYSERDA) to this project enabled the implementation of several research projects that use students as both test subjects and provide the basis to increase their knowledge, motivation and attitude about energy and water conservation. The project is also providing a lot of insight in the behavior and consumption of utilities in on-campus apartments. In comparison with national or regional statistics on utility use by the general public, the data collected can be used to more accurately predict savings associated with a variety of residence building system choices (low flow water fixtures, programmable thermostats or occupancy sensors, providing microwaves vs. just ranges, etc.)

Nearly 400 students have participated in and benefited from this project in the past 3 years. The primary experiment is in its third year (S16). Preliminary results have shown that students who receive feedback and motivational messages about their utility use ~17% less water and utility use after the intervention in comparison with the baseline measurement period. The results of this project have been included in numerous presentations. Papers are under development.