Human centered design approach to encourage MSMEs to adopt sustainable energy practices

The current article demonstrates a human centric design approach aimed at persuasive engagement with managers/owners of micro-, small-, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) in the global south for encouraging energy savings. This design intervention was conducted with a team that is part of a university-based network of energy auditors that provide free energy audits for MSMEs. The primary challenge is to identify the hidden energy losses (energy auditor’s problem) and bring this to the awareness of the owners such that they are persuaded to adopt sustainable practices to reduce energy losses (designer’s problem) while ensuring the business motive of the MSMEs. The article demonstrates how persuasive design of reporting can impact energy efficiency and sustainability and can be used as an exemplar for similar problems.