Cosar-Jorda, P; Buswell, R A and Mitchell, V A (2019) Quantifying energy demand reduction considering householder willingness to apply measures. Building Research & Information, 47(7), pp. 850-864. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
Reducing energy demand in the domestic sector will be an important feature of future energy systems but is challenging to achieve in practice. Solutions lie in a range of building fabric and system improvements as well as adopting more sustainable routines and conceptions of normality in the home. The impact of such measures has so far been quantified without considering the willingness of the householder to adopt them. This paper uses a modelling approach to evaluate the effectiveness of technical and lifestyle measures to reduce energy demand in six households based on monitoring data and insights from interviews. The results are benchmarked against estimated tailored 2050 reduction targets and demonstrate that although these targets are achievable in the studied homes, householders might not always be willing to apply them. The resultant reduction pathways are shown to vary significantly between households, suggesting that bespoke strategies are needed to allow households to identify and select the most appropriate methods that allow them to maximize demand reduction.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | domestic energy demand reduction; family homes; lifestyle; retrofit; technology; user centred design |
| Index terms: | strategy, routine, interview, user-centred design, lifestyle, energy demand, modelling, effectiveness, household, monitoring, energy system |
| Subjects: | control systems, data collection methods, analytical methods, energy systems, performance management, management, user-centred design, sociology, demography |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Design Practice, Urban Studies, Organizational Design, Site Management, Research Practice, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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