Enhancing the designs and impacts of guides for achieving reduced energy-consumptions

Energy-consumption guides (ECGs), produced by the UK Government agencies ET SU and BRECSU under the DETR's Energy-Efficiency Best-Practice Programme, h ave been examined. The aim was to assess and, if possible, improve the meth odologies used for the production of ECGs, and in particular to ensure (i) the conclusions are statistically valid; (ii) each presentation appeals to its appropriate target audience; and, in each instance, (iii) ease of infor mation extraction is facilitated. In the course of the study, several ECGs were considered, together with their consultants' reports and the answers t o pertinent survey questionnaires. The problems with these ECGs fell into t hree categories - the use of inappropriate indicators and/or sample populat ions for energy benchmarking; errors in calculations presented in the guide s; and mistakes, ambiguities and other weaknesses in the published text. Th ese problems, although detected in relatively few ECGs, were due to inadequ ate quality-control and/or a lack of appropriate technical review of the do cuments before publication. The aim throughout this investigation was to de velop a more coherent strategy in order for authors and editors, of future Guides, to present only the facts relevant to the needs of each intended ca tegory of user in a persuasive, clear and simple manner. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.