School of Geography and the Environment

Research Interests

Awareness, action and feedback in domestic energy use

Sarah has a first degree in Ecological Science from Edinburgh University. She joined the ECI in 1995 and gained her doctorate there, looking at social, behavioural and educational aspects of energy use. Her main research interests have centred on how people learn about energy and the environment and apply what they have learned, whatever their level of knowledge and specialisation: designers, householders, business people, policymakers, construction workers or technologists.

She was awarded a three-year interdisciplinary fellowship by the Economic and Social Research Council, running from April 2007, to carry our research into domestic energy feedback. During that time she is also part of the external evaluation team for the UK Demand Reduction Pilot (trials of various forms of feedback and smart metering).

Her main focus is on what householders are able to learn from developments in energy metering, billing and displays and how effective these developments may be in reducing and managing demand. New forms of metering and monitoring open up possibilities for learning, while micro-generation technologies mean that people who have in the past been energy 'consumers' are able to become producers as well - a shift that is beginning to alter the way in which they think and act. She is also studying the impact of new metering and feedback technologies on options for energy supply industries, and on the relationships between suppliers and their customers.

Teaching

Sarah contributes to the teaching of the Energy module for the ECI Master's course in Environmental Change and Management.

Publications

• Darby S (2008) Why, what, when, how, where and who? Developing UK policy on metering, billing and energy display devices. In Proceedings of ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Asilomar, CA. August 17-22, 2008
• Darby S (2009) Implementing Article 13 of the Energy Services Directive and defining the purpose of new metering infrastructures. Proceedings, European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy summer study, paper 2262
• Pyrko J and Darby S (2009) Conditions of behavioural changes towards efficient energy use - a comparative study between Sweden and the United Kingdom. Proceedings, European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy summer study, paper 8200
• Parag, Y. and Darby, S. (2009) Consumer–supplier–government triangular relations: Rethinking the UK policy path for carbon emissions reduction from the UK residential sector. Energy Policy. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2009.04.044
• Darby S (2008) Energy feedback in buildings - improving the infrastructure for demand reduction. Building Research and Information 36 (5), 499-508
• Parag Y and Darby S (2008) Demand reduction triangular relations: the effect of government, consumer and energy supplier inter-relations on carbon emissions reduction from the UK residential sector. Proceedings, 7th academic conference of the British Institute of Energy Economics, Oxford, September 24-25, 2008
• Darby , S. (2007) Enough is as good as a feast – sufficiency as policy Proceedings, European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 2007 Summer Study, France
• Darby, S (2006) Social learning, household energy practice and public policy: lessons from an energy-conscious village. Energy Policy 34, 2929-2940
• Darby S (2006) The effectiveness of feedback on energy consumption. A review for DEFRA of the literature on metering, billing and direct displays. Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
• Palmer J, Boardman B, Bottrill C, Darby S, Hinnells M, Killip G, Layberry R and Lovell H (2006) Reducing the environmental impact of housing. Final report. Consultancy study in support of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution’s 26th Report on the Urban Environment. Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
• Keirstead J, Darby S and Boardman B (2006) Response to Ofgem consultation on domestic metering innovation. March 2006 http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/temp/ofgem/cache/cmsattach/14359_Environmental_Change_Institute_response.pdf
• Darby S (2005) Changing the climate for housing. Challenge, autumn 2005, pp 9-11
• Darby S (2005) Housing for a changing climate – the 40% House. Local Government First, 16 July 2005, p14
• Darby S (2005) 40% carbon emissions, 100% comfort. Energy Action issue 96, July 2005, pp.12-13
• Darby S (2005) Learning about energy - how will low-impact energy use become a way of life? Proceedings, European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Paper 6,149
• Boardman B, Darby S, Killip G, Hinnells M, Jardine CN, Palmer J and Sinden G (2005) 40% House. Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
• Darby S (2003) Awareness, action and feedback in domestic energy use. Unpublished DPhil thesis, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
• Darby S (2003) Review of New Tools for Environmental Protection: Education, Information and Voluntary Measures, eds T Dietz and PC Stern. National Research Council Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change. Division of Behavioural and Social Sciences and Education. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2002. In Environmental Science and Policy 6 (5), October 2003.
• Darby S (2003) Making sense of energy advice. Proceedings, European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Paper 6,157
• Darby S (2001) Energy advisers and disadvantaged householders. DETR/DTI market transformation programme, March 2001
• Darby S (2001) Effective advisors and active householders. Energy Action issue no 83, March 2001.
• Boardman B and Darby S (2000) Effective advice: energy efficiency and the disadvantaged. A report for the Electricity Association Fuel Poverty Task Force. Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford.
• Darby S (2000) Making it obvious: designing feedback into energy consumption. Proceedings, 2nd International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Household Appliances and Lighting. Italian Association of Energy Economists/ EC-SAVE programme.
• Darby S (1999) Energy advice – what is it worth? Proceedings, European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, III.05
• Green, J, S Darby, C Maby and B Boardman (1998) Advice into Action: an evaluation of the effectiveness of energy advice to low-income households. EAGA Charitable Trust