Parkinson, A T; Friedman, K S; Hacking, T; Cooke, A J and Guthrie, P M (2012) Exploring scenarios for the future of energy management in UK property. Building Research & Information, 40(3), pp. 373-388. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
The most appropriate responses to the energy management of buildings from now until 2050 are investigated through a process of scenario planning. A qualitative, explorative approach was undertaken to develop four 2050 scenario endstates resulting from an axis of two critical uncertainties not closely correlated: the attitudes of society towards sustainability; and the availability of energy. These scenarios were applied to the property industry through expert workshops, from which trends and themes were identified. The findings are that the property industry should prepare for a transitional period with an uncertain outlook. Therefore, it would be prudent for this industry to focus on resilient performance under a diverse set of futures, and plausible shock events, rather than optimizing for today's conditions. This could be challenging in a sector that works on relatively long time scales. Aspects that should be incorporated into property industry strategy are suggested: responding to the potential effects of climate change; understanding what drives communities and investing in buildings that are significant to the community's functions; considering transport links as key to successful property investments; adopting the latest technological innovations; and becoming more 'full service' and interdisciplinary. A need for a paradigm shift in the industries' practices was also identified.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | buildings; energy management; future planning; property sector; resilience; scenarios; uncertainty |
| Index terms: | society, becoming, workshop, scenario planning, strategy, technological innovation, paradigm, energy management, climate change, property investment |
| Subjects: | sustainability and energy, innovation and technology management, economic analysis, construction type, climate science, philosophical process, communities and social development, education and knowledge transfer, management |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy, Construction Technology, Procurement, Sustainability, Stakeholder Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here