Designing an ‘optimal’ domestic retrofit programme

Gillich, Aaron; Sunikka-Blank, Minna; Ford, Andy

doi:10.1080/09613218.2017.1368235

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Cooling and heating of spaces are required only on a limited number of days, so almost no households use air conditioning or heaters. Thus, retrofitting strategies should target this local energy culture, distinct to typical urban settings in the global north, denser and mainly relying on gas and electricity to provide energy services (Silver, 2014;Gillich et al, 2018;nZEB-RETROFIT, 2021).…”

Section: Local Culture and Implications On Retrofitting Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Secondary cities 1 , in particular, are expected to grow rapidly, but a large percentage of households still have inadequate materials and other deficiencies that retrofitting policy should address. However, the unique peculiarities of local contexts are neglected, and the experience in larger cities are ignored (Gillich et al, 2018). Furthermore, rural traditions in smaller urban settings are usually decisive in local practises.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Local Culture and Urban Retrofit: Reflections on Policy and Preferences for Wall and Roof Materials

Cravioto

Mosqueda²

2021

Front. Sustain. Cities

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Retrofitting strategies aim to reduce environmental footprints promoting the development or upgrade of existing infrastructure. One crucial aspect of successful retrofitting strategies is local culture, which can harmonise or come into conflict with retrofitting initiatives. However, investigations on the influence of local practises, particularly in the global south, are limited and such influence deserves more attention. This article explores the connexion between local culture and retrofitting strategies, focusing on wall and roof material selection in the Metropolitan Valley of Oaxaca in Mexico (ZMVO). We begin with a brief review of the retrofitting initiatives at related governmental levels. Then, through a survey, we analyse the choices and reasons for selecting specific materials for walls and roofs in the ZMVO. We discuss to what extent cultural practises and preferences have been considered or left behind in the strategies and ensuing challenges. The findings confirm important premises. First, tradition and community support were not relevant factors in wall or roof material selection. Material reuse, energy efficiency, and sustainability-related reasons were also not essential to the preferences. Instead, protection (against rain, earthquakes, theft and accidents), hygiene, and aesthetics had a consistently higher priority. We also found that poverty or lack of other options intersects with the use of precarious materials, creating constrained choices. However, the most crucial finding was that choosing less environmentally or culturally compatible materials was strongly connected with deprivation, having important implications in the selection of materials and retrofitting strategies. The current retrofitting initiatives call for sustainability and efficiency, but the local practises render these efforts insufficient and incoherent. Poverty and informal housing are the main emphases of the local policy. However, the policy focuses on new infrastructure and much less on the existing housing, causing less efficient retrofits. Guidelines for more sustainable material selection have advanced, but regulation and enforcement remain weak. We conclude by discussing all these challenges and providing a set of recommended actions in new initiatives.

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Section: Local Culture and Implications On Retrofitting Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Culture and Urban Retrofit: Reflections on Policy and Preferences for Wall and Roof Materials

Cravioto

Mosqueda²

2021

Front. Sustain. Cities

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“…In addition, activities at local levels can surpass ambitions at national level and catalyse activities in neighbouring regions (BPIE, 2013). Retrofitting schemes customised to local circumstances can also be more successful than nation-wide strategies (Gillich, Sunikka-Blank & Ford, 2018), and it has been suggested that national schemes need to provide room for facilitating municipal action (Gram-Hanssen, Jensen & Friis, 2018). Localities were found to be most active for retrofitting in Sydney, Australia, whilst federal and state level responses were more reserved amidst national climate change debates (Dowling, McGuirk and Bulkey;.…”

Section: Local Delivery Of National Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging linked ecologies for a national scale retrofitting programme: The role of local authorities and delivery partners

2020

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Energy Efficient Scotland (EES) is the Scottish Government's flagship programme for the national-scale retrofitting of buildings over the next 15-20 years. This is a critical component of Scotland's commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, that will also help to reduce fuel poverty and improve local economies.The success of EES is reliant on partnerships between local authorities, arms-length external organisations, charities, and social enterprises. However, little is known about how these organisations collaborate for the delivery of building retrofit. This paper analyses interview data from local authorities and these delivery partners, conceptualising them as part of linked ecologies, or interconnected networks of professional groups.EES is identified as a hinge that holds distinct meanings for different parties; it supports learning between local authorities and delivery partners, but does not guarantee the alignment of priorities. The concept of avatars, or individuals and skills that travel between organisations, reveals the search for relevant internal knowledge amongst local authority officers, whilst external delivery partners amass expertise for retrofitting. To ensure successful national-scale building retrofit, policy makers will need to develop shared databases, and clear guidance for the allocation and distribution of resources and responsibilities between local authorities and delivery partners. Highlights  Local authorities and third sector organisations partner to deliver building retrofit.  These influential middle actors form networks defined here as linked ecologies.  Local authorities and delivery partners have differential expertise and priorities.  Policy guidance should include clarity over division of responsibilities.  Policy makers should develop shared building energy efficiency databases.

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“…Importantly, lack of data creates barriers to delivering building retrofits, tracking end use, accounting for the factors contributing to end use, and ultimately managing end use. Optimization of program design relies on data management and near real‐time data analysis (Gillich et al 2018). It is required that collected data are more quickly available to researchers and analysts to identify trends, manage risks, and to roll out accelerated deep energy retrofit programs.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ambitious deep energy retrofits of buildings to accelerate the 1.5°C energy transition in Canada

Hoicka

Das

2020

Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes

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Scientists advise limiting global warming to 1.5°C with substantial actions by 2030. Our viewpoint argues that climate response strategies in Canada have underemphasized and underestimated the potential contribution deep energy retrofits can make to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, leading to inadequate responses in the building sector, and that Canada can (and should) be ambitious with building retrofits over the next decade. GHG savings from building retrofits can be realized more quickly than GHG reductions from other sectors, and either deliver net cost savings or are cost‐effective when compared to other mitigation measures. Retrofits can also provide social and economic benefits, such as improved health and comfort, and lower energy costs. This paper reviews energy use and building retrofits in Canada and argues the following should be implemented: (1) focus innovation on deep energy retrofit processes, not singular retrofit actions; (2) maximize both social and environmental benefits; (3) improve data gathering and availability for analysis and delivery; (4) innovate for a process of decisions and to avoid “dropouts” during the retrofit process; and (5) focus innovation on business models that maximize benefits.

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Designing an ‘optimal’ domestic retrofit programme

Cited by 18 publications

References 20 publications

Local Culture and Urban Retrofit: Reflections on Policy and Preferences for Wall and Roof Materials

Local Culture and Urban Retrofit: Reflections on Policy and Preferences for Wall and Roof Materials

Emerging linked ecologies for a national scale retrofitting programme: The role of local authorities and delivery partners

Ambitious deep energy retrofits of buildings to accelerate the 1.5°C energy transition in Canada

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