“Is that a photovoltaic array on that building? Grab it.”
“There’s a plaque that says this place is certified LEED Gold. Wonder if they got a grant from Massachusetts for an energy project . . . I put in the address. Yup, it was an energy management system. Captured.”
“Here’s a Massachusetts clean energy QR code in the lobby of our school. Zap, got it.”
Marketers are recognizing “gamification” as a way to motivate and engage people. Instant feedback, goals, competition, ratings, onboarding, points, recognition, reputation. These game attributes play into content delivery, education, a sense of community, ways to encourage behaviors.
At my day job at the Department of Energy Resources, we’ve been thinking hard about how to get the public to recognize, learn about and engage with the Commonwealth’s clean energy accomplishments: the Governor’s solar goal was met four years early, 4500 buildings in cities and towns monitor and enable action on real-time energy use data, thousands of homeowners have upped the heating and cooling efficiency of their houses.
We’ve been kicking around the idea of using games on smart phones. Not long ago, my colleague – I’m embarrassed that I didn’t come up with the idea first – suggested an app centered on “identifying and capturing” the thousands of energy improvements enabled by state programs and funding. Integrate it with our database that tracks clean energy projects across the state. Each improvement might be grouped by
- geography: city or town or even neighborhood
- type of improvement: efficiency, solar, renewable thermal
- who implemented it: students, commercial landlord, municipal energy committee
- facility type: municipal buildings, residences, schools, state buildings, commercial buildings
- impact: most energy saved, most money saved, greatest GHG reduction
Who says state government can’t be innovative.
Tom Witkin 