Kingston Living Lab (KLL)
The Kingston Living Lab supports SMEs to experiment with new practices for keeping workplaces warm, while data is gathered to address important research questions related to sustainability and energy research. Kingston Living Lab undertakes original, impactful research to help businesses to reduce energy use. KLL builds on the recently completed Horizon 2020-funded 'ENERGISE' research project led at Kingston by Professor Audley Genus. ENERGISE was reviewed by the European Commission as delivering 'exceptional results with significant immediate or potential impact'. The Kingston Living Lab project runs over a three-year period ending in 2024.
About Kingston Living Lab
Kingston Living Lab aims to address research questions concerning how and why SMEs might benefit from participating in a living lab to reduce CO2 emissions from energy use and the implications thereof for studying user innovation. Further, the project seeks to improve understanding of effective engagement and knowledge exchange between universities and SMEs. The project focuses on working with SMEs within south-west London. The Kingston Living Lab will employ baseline, intermediate and final measurements of energy-related indicators (such as room temperature, home and office energy usage) as well as demographic, contextual, and ethnographic data to increase knowledge of how participants use energy for heat and the challenges they experience in changing practices.
The research team
The research team for the Kingston Living Lab is led by Professor Audley Genus and research assistance is provided by Dr Juan Soon, who recently completed his doctorate at Kingston University. KLL is overseen by a management board comprising: Professor Genus, Professor G. Vallée-Tourangeau (KBS Director of Research), and a project manager (to be appointed).
News and events
The Kingston Living Lab is looking for SMEs based in south-west London to participate in the project and is happy to discuss the project with policy-makers, other firms, researchers and the public. Please contact us via email.
Contact us
Director, Small Business Research Centre,
Kingston Business School
Email: [a.genus@kingston.ac.uk]
