Pilot study to measure the energy and carbon impacts of teleworking

Teleworking offers various socio-economic benefits to the workforce, especially during major disasters. However, holistic net energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions impacts of telework remain poorly understood. This paper develops tests a longitudinal mixed-methods approach estimate in three domains: home office, transportation, information communications technology (ICT). A pilot study 11 participants from Ottawa, Canada, is used evaluate method, while generating rich dataset new insights. The results show heating cooling account for > 94% telework-related energy, office equipment, lighting ICT remaining 6% (and < 2% GHG emissions). Not including employer offices, teleworking will likely yield reduction compared with conventional working arrangements, but this result dependent on personal choices, routines, purchasing decisions household structure. concludes discussion future recommendations developed method based lessons learned. Practice relevance was piloted teleworking. demonstrates measurement tools, data analysis measures scenario modelling. It provides learned acknowledges limitations. step forward setting stage larger scale studies. specific showed that nine are consume less produce fewer when scenario-based analytical approach. if workers use sustainable may not any savings as increases domain expected. Future studies should include offices.