Lees, T and Sexton, M (2014) An evolutionary innovation perspective on the selection of low and zero-carbon technologies in new housing. Building Research & Information, 42(3), pp. 276-287. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
The Code for Sustainable Homes will require new homes in the UK to be zero carbon from 2016. Drawing upon an evolutionary innovation perspective, a gap in the literature is addressed by investigating which low and zero-carbon technologies are actually being used by house builders, rather than the prevailing emphasis on the potentiality of these technologies. Using the results from a questionnaire, three empirical contributions are made. First, house builders are selecting a narrow range of technologies. Second, these choices are made to minimize the disruption to their standard design and production templates (SDPTs). Finally, the coalescence around a small group of technologies is expected to intensify with solar-based technologies predicted to become more important. A challenge is presented to the dominant technical rationality that assumes technical efficiency and cost benefits are the primary drivers for technology selection. These drivers play an important role, but one which is mediated by the logic of maintaining the SDPTs of the house builders. This emphasizes the need for construction diffusion of innovation theory to be problematized and developed within the context of business and market regimes constrained and reproduced by resilient technological trajectories.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | code for sustainable homes; diffusion of innovation; evolutionary innovation; house builders; low and zero-carbon technologies; technology choices |
| Index terms: | questionnaire, diffusion of innovation, housing, efficiency, rationality, drawing, builder |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, construction type, practitioner, technical documentation, decision-making and reasoning, performance management, professional development |
| Topics: | Construction Technology, Roles and Professions, Information Management, Research Practice, Quality Management, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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