GreenLite Dartmouth: unplug or the polar bear gets it

With glaciers melting, sea levels rising and natural disasters—such as hurricanes and cyclones—intensifying, climate change is a growing concern. While innovations in renewable energy are critical, research shows that changing energy use behavior has become increasingly important in the fight against global warming. GreenLite Dartmouth focuses on changing behavior by making energy conservation a priority for students by creating both an intellectual and emotional connection between daily actions and their adverse effects on the environment. We combine computer graphics, art, engineering, sociology, environmental science, systems-thinking and behavioral psychology to turn real-time energy use data into a meaningful interactive display. GreenLite employs innovative methods for displaying complex data using interactivity, storytelling, animation, competition and goal-setting. Appealing animated information-display and “mood” algorithms put data into context to make it meaningful. We incorporate a system of digital energy meters, a custom database, computational analysis, 2D and 3D animations, interactive design and a game-engine to spur behavior change and, hopefully, reverse the course of climate change.