IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i19p6948-d1253594.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Review of Serious Energy Games: Objectives, Approaches, Applications, Data Integration, and Performance Assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Hossein Nasrollahi

    (Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Ioannis Lampropoulos

    (Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Stefan Werning

    (Department of Media and Culture Studies, Utrecht University, Muntstraat 2A, 3512 EV Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Anton Belinskiy

    (Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Jan Dirk Fijnheer

    (Department of Information & Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Remco C. Veltkamp

    (Department of Information & Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Wilfried van Sark

    (Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands)

Abstract

In recent years, serious energy games (SEGs) garnered increasing attention as an innovative and effective approach to tackling energy-related challenges. This review delves into the multifaceted landscape of SEG, specifically focusing on their wide-ranging applications in various contexts. The study investigates potential enhancements in user engagement achieved through integrating social connections, personalization, and data integration. Among the main challenges identified, previous studies overlooked the full potential of serious games in addressing emerging needs in energy systems, opting for oversimplified approaches. Further, these studies exhibit limited scalability and constrained generalizability, which poses challenges in applying their findings to larger energy systems and diverse scenarios. By incorporating lessons learned from prior experiences, this review aims to propel the development of SEG toward more innovative and impactful directions. It is firmly believed that positive behavior changes among individuals can be effectively encouraged by using SEG.

Suggested Citation

  • Hossein Nasrollahi & Ioannis Lampropoulos & Stefan Werning & Anton Belinskiy & Jan Dirk Fijnheer & Remco C. Veltkamp & Wilfried van Sark, 2023. "Review of Serious Energy Games: Objectives, Approaches, Applications, Data Integration, and Performance Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-42, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:19:p:6948-:d:1253594
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/19/6948/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/19/6948/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christine Boomsma & Rebecca Hafner & Sabine Pahl & Rory V. Jones & Alba Fuertes, 2018. "Should We Play Games Where Energy Is Concerned? Perceptions of Serious Gaming as a Technology to Motivate Energy Behaviour Change among Social Housing Residents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Xianfeng Wu & Shuli Liu & Ashish Shukla, 2020. "Serious Games as an Engaging Medium on Building Energy Consumption: A Review of Trends, Categories and Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Aguiar-Castillo Lidia & Rufo-Torres Julio & De Saa-Pérez Petra & Perez-Jimenez Rafael, 2018. "How to Encourage Recycling Behaviour? The Case of WasteApp: A Gamified Mobile Application," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-20, May.
    4. Burgess, Jacquelin & Nye, Michael, 2008. "Re-materialising energy use through transparent monitoring systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 4454-4459, December.
    5. Tania Ouariachi & Wim J. L. Elving & Frank Pierie, 2018. "Playing for a Sustainable Future: The Case of We Energy Game as an Educational Practice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-12, October.
    6. Krumm, Alexandra & Süsser, Diana & Blechinger, Philipp, 2022. "Modelling social aspects of the energy transition: What is the current representation of social factors in energy models?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marta Gangolells & Miquel Casals & Núria Forcada & Marcel Macarulla, 2020. "Life Cycle Analysis of a Game-Based Solution for Domestic Energy Saving," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Mathias Lanezki & Catharina Siemer & Steffen Wehkamp, 2020. "“Changing the Game—Neighbourhood”: An Energy Transition Board Game, Developed in a Co-Design Process: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Østergaard, P.A. & Lund, H. & Thellufsen, J.Z. & Sorknæs, P. & Mathiesen, B.V., 2022. "Review and validation of EnergyPLAN," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    4. Leonard Goke & Jens Weibezahn & Christian von Hirschhausen, 2021. "A collective blueprint, not a crystal ball: How expectations and participation shape long-term energy scenarios," Papers 2112.04821, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2022.
    5. Theresa Liegl & Simon Schramm & Philipp Kuhn & Thomas Hamacher, 2023. "Considering Socio-Technical Parameters in Energy System Models—The Current Status and Next Steps," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-19, October.
    6. Hege Westskog & Tanja Winther & Hanne Sæle, 2015. "The Effects of In-Home Displays—Revisiting the Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-21, May.
    7. Benedict Belobo Ateba & Johannes Jurgens Prinsloo, 2018. "The Electricity Security in South Africa: Analysing Significant Determinants to the Grid Reliability," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 8(6), pages 70-79.
    8. Robert W. Hahn & Robert D. Metcalfe, 2021. "Efficiency and Equity Impacts of Energy Subsidies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(5), pages 1658-1688, May.
    9. Sharada Prasanna Mohanty & Rajiv Ramaswamy & Anantha Kumar Duraiappah, 2019. "On the Design of a Youth-Led, Issue-Based, Crowdsourced Global Monitoring Framework for the SDGs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Jennifer Gabrys, 2014. "A Cosmopolitics of Energy: Diverging Materialities and Hesitating Practices," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 46(9), pages 2095-2109, September.
    11. Büchs, Milena & Bahaj, AbuBakr S. & Blunden, Luke & Bourikas, Leonidas & Falkingham, Jane & James, Patrick & Kamanda, Mamusu & Wu, Yue, 2018. "Promoting low carbon behaviours through personalised information? Long-term evaluation of a carbon calculator interview," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 284-293.
    12. Janis Edmunds Daugavietis & Raimonda Soloha & Elina Dace & Jelena Ziemele, 2022. "A Comparison of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Methods for Sustainability Assessment of District Heating Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-23, March.
    13. Artem Korzhenevych & Charles Kofi Owusu, 2021. "Renewable Minigrid Electrification in Off-Grid Rural Ghana: Exploring Households Willingness to Pay," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, October.
    14. Karen Bickerstaff & Emma Hinton & Harriet Bulkeley, 2016. "Decarbonisation at home: The contingent politics of experimental domestic energy technologies," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(10), pages 2006-2025, October.
    15. Chang, Miguel & Lund, Henrik & Thellufsen, Jakob Zinck & Østergaard, Poul Alberg, 2023. "Perspectives on purpose-driven coupling of energy system models," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    16. Kendel, Adnane & Lazaric, Nathalie & Maréchal, Kevin, 2017. "What do people ‘learn by looking’ at direct feedback on their energy consumption? Results of a field study in Southern France," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 593-605.
    17. Cassetti, Gabriele & Boitier, Baptiste & Elia, Alessia & Le Mouël, Pierre & Gargiulo, Maurizio & Zagamé, Paul & Nikas, Alexandros & Koasidis, Konstantinos & Doukas, Haris & Chiodi, Alessandro, 2023. "The interplay among COVID-19 economic recovery, behavioural changes, and the European Green Deal: An energy-economic modelling perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PC).
    18. Behl, Abhishek & Jayawardena, Nirma & Pereira, Vijay & Islam, Nazrul & Giudice, Manlio Del & Choudrie, Jyoti, 2022. "Gamification and e-learning for young learners: A systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis, and future research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    19. Pelenur, Marcos J. & Cruickshank, Heather J., 2012. "Closing the Energy Efficiency Gap: A study linking demographics with barriers to adopting energy efficiency measures in the home," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 348-357.
    20. Jia, Jun-Jun & Xu, Jin-Hua & Fan, Ying, 2018. "Public acceptance of household energy-saving measures in Beijing: Heterogeneous preferences and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 487-499.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:19:p:6948-:d:1253594. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.