German „Deutsche See“ reduces fish refrigeration unit energy waste by 20% with smiley-face feedback system
What unsustainable behavior needs to change:
Deutsche See, renowned for its fresh and frozen fish and seafood, faced a recurring issue: employees habitually left the refrigeration unit doors open during operations, resulting in increased energy consumption as the cooling systems had to work harder.
As we’ve seen in our previous nudge, the ‘radiator paint’ in public buildings developed for the City of Copenhagen – people often fail to change unsustainable behaviour when unable to assess abstract factors; such as temperature increase and subsequent energy waste.
For employees working in the refrigeration units at Deutsche See, the consequences of temperature increases and the associated energy implications remain intangible and often go unnoticed.
The Green Nudge:
The solution at Deutsche See in Bremerhaven involved implementing a feedback nudge to address the issue. To make the consequences of temperature deviations more tangible for employees, a system was introduced featuring LED displays with smiley faces, reminiscent of the well-known “smiley face speed limit” indicators.
For example: when the temperature remained within the desired range, a green smiley face would light up, thus symbolising contentment. However, if the temperature exceeded the limit, the LED display would change to a frowning face, indicating the need for attention.
The result: This simple feedback nudge significantly reduced temperature fluctuations by approximately 20%, ensuring better energy efficiency and control within the refrigeration units.
Are you aware of any other nudges that use feedback to promote environmentally-friendly behaviour? Get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com
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