Behave 2018 – the 5th European Conference on Behaviour and Energy Efficiency was held on 5–7 September 2018 at ZHAW – Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. Behave conferences aim to facilitate the exchange of knowledge on sustainable energy behaviour in transport, buildings and consumption of goods as well as the individual and social acceptance of sustainable technologies (e.g. renewables). In particular, the conference acts as a platform to share multi-disciplinary research on new technological developments and best practices concerning understanding and influencing energy-related behaviours.

PEOPLE project’s paper at the Behave 2018 conference was co-authored by four PEOPLE project team members and a PhD candidate, who was part of our 1^st Learning Cycle student team: Sara Arko (Metronik), Gregor Cerinšek (IRI UL), Dan Podjed (ZRC SAZU), Ajda Pretnar (FRI UL), and Jure Vetršek (IRI UL). In their paper, Interdisciplinary People-Centred Approaches to Understanding and Improving Energy Information Systems in Public Buildings, they presented the PEOPLE project and focused on the Slovenian case study, conducted within the project’s 1^st Learning Cycle at the newest and most automated building housing two Faculties of the University of Ljubljana.

The authors argued that in order for energy-related technologies to have the capacity of providing satisfactory and healthy indoor environments and optimise energy use, occupants of buildings should be involved in all stages of the development processes. They presented their interdisciplinary people-centred research approach to energy-related behaviour and an energy information system, installed at the smart building. The key element of this approach is the application of qualitative and quantitative research methods and data, in mutually enhancing modes, with the aim of integrating users of buildings in the entire development process of the energy-related technologies.

Behave 2018 brought together researchers, policy makers and practitioners to discuss problems and measures in the field of behaviours related to end-use energy efficiency and sufficiency and the adaption of low-carbon technologies. You can find the conference schedule here. Behave 2018 focused on various fields of research, innovation and knowledge transfer and we enjoyed sharing and discussing our case study and the PEOPLE project approach and learn from exciting experiences of other conference attendees. Our contribution to Behave 2018 will be published in the forthcoming conference proceedings.