Fuel poverty-induced ‘prebound effect’ in achieving the anticipated carbon savings from social housing retrofit

Teli, Despoina; Dimitriou, Tassos; James, P.A.B.; Bahaj, A.S.; Ellison, Luke; Waggott, A.

doi:10.1177/0143624415621028

Cited by 37 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In order of importance, these are: energy poverty, energy consumption of buildings, and mitigation of climate change [58]. As reported by Teli et al [59], the savings derived from energy refurbishment in social housing are much lower than those in standard housing. The most significant result of energy refurbishment is the social benefit achieved by the improvement of the thermal comfort conditions in the refurbished dwelling, as this increases health and life quality of the residents, as noted by Ormandy and Ezratty [60].…”

Section: Energy Poverty: An Empirical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Building Energy Assessment and Computer Simulation Applied to Social Housing in Spain

et al. 2018

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The actual energy consumption and simulated energy performance of a building usually differ. This gap widens in social housing, owing to the characteristics of these buildings and the consumption patterns of economically vulnerable households affected by energy poverty. The aim of this work is to characterise the energy poverty of the households that are representative of those residing in social housing, specifically in blocks of apartments in Southern Europe. The main variables that affect energy consumption and costs are analysed, and the models developed for software energy-performance simulations (which are applied to predict energy consumption in social housing) are validated against actual energy-consumption values. The results demonstrate that this type of household usually lives in surroundings at a temperature below the average thermal comfort level. We have taken into account that a standard thermal comfort level may lead to significant differences between computer-aided energy building simulation and actual consumption data (which are 40-140% lower than simulated consumption). This fact is of integral importance, as we use computer simulation to predict building energy performance in social housing.

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Section: Energy Poverty: An Empirical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Building Energy Assessment and Computer Simulation Applied to Social Housing in Spain

et al. 2018

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“…Cost savings may be negated, however, when potential financial benefits are traded for improved comfort or undermined by changes in energy practices (Fawcett et al 2019;Rosenow et al 2019). Such rebound and pre-bound effects are frequently observed in low-income and fuel-poor households (Galvin 2015;Sunikka-Blank & Galvin 2012;Teli et al 2016), and may challenge the estimation of deemed savings in emissions (Rosenow et al 2019).…”

Section: Energy Efficiency Obligations (Eoos)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrofit Poverty: Socioeconomic Spatial Disparities in Retrofit Subsidies Uptake

Willand¹,

Moore²,

Horne³

et al. 2020

Buildings and Cities

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Framed in the concept of distributional justice, retrofit poverty may be understood as the inequality of opportunity to improve the energy performance of the home. Retrofitting existing homes may have substantial carbon-mitigation and cost-saving potential. Retrofit subsidies may increase energy improvement activities, raise awareness and lever market offers. However, there is concern about inequitable outcomes. This quantitative study used publicly available data sets to explore the socioeconomic and spatial distribution of the outputs of a market-based, white certificate programme for residential energy-efficiency improvements in the state of Victoria, Australia, between 2009 and 2017. Certificates signified avoided carbon emissions as a proxy for energy cost savings. Regression analyses combined data of certificate generation with socioeconomic indices, dwelling numbers and tenure characteristics at the postcode level. Areas with lower economic resources and higher shares of rented dwellings were statistically significantly associated with lower certificate generation intensity. As low-income households and renters feature highly in metrics of energy stress, the uneven distribution of benefits suggests that a utilitarian distributive subsidy approach may be regressive and (re)produce energy inequalities. A better understanding of the contexts, compositions and mechanisms that characterise retrofits is needed to develop socially equalising and effective policy tools. Policy relevance This paper addresses the distributive justice implications of residential energy-efficiency subsidies in Victoria, Australia. The relationships between white certificate generation intensities and variables that have been associated with energy hardship revealed inequities in the distribution of benefits. Lower outcomes in subsidy benefits in areas with low economic resources and high percentages of rented properties suggest that non-targeted financial incentives may be regressive and (re)produce energy inequalities. However, the data also suggest that the subsidy programme may have triggered a social normalisation of residential retrofit activities. Revealing retrofit scheme participation as a multidimensional issue with monetary, social and structural indicators, the study highlights that policies addressing the social impacts of low-carbon transitions must look to retrofit opportunity (dis)advantage. A restorative justice approach points to tailored retrofit-enabling schemes targeted at enhancing capabilities of vulnerable households, which may include targets for financially disadvantaged groups and setting minimum rental housing standards.

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“…everyday practices on space heating consumption and temperature take back [15]). Within this type of research design, quantitative and qualitative data are collected during the same time frames but stay separate as the findings of one phase are not subject to the results of the other (see Figures 1,2). For the work in this paper, the applied quasi-experimental approach was designed for measuring change in internal air temperature (energy service) and space heating consumption (energy input) before and after retrofit as represented in Figure 3.…”

Section: An Applied Quasi-experimental and Qualitative Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is known that energy demand in social housing is affected by factors which are complex and often poorly understood [1]. Teli et al [2], specifically, highlights the need to use empirical data as typical conditions representative of social homes could be far from those expressed in building energy models. Furthermore, empirical information on temperatures in domestic dwellings is valuable in appraising energy conservation interventions as, for example, the benefits of an energy efficiency intervention can be taken as energy consumption savings or extra warmth (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of fabric retrofit insulation in a UK high-rise social housing building on temperature take-back

Calderón

Beltrán

2018

Energy and Buildings

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This paper presents a two year long empirical study on the effects of fabric retrofit insulation on a high rise social housing building (a 23-storey block with 157 flats) in Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). The study has followed a quasi-experimental approach coupled with qualitative methods and examines whether temperature take-back is taking place; whether it operates independently of socio economic characteristics due to saturation effects; and the relationship between temperature take-back, physical factors and occupant's behavioural change. The presented empirical evidence suggests that, first, temperature take-back as extra warmth (or energy consumption savings) is not occurring. Second, the saturation effect has taken place. This supports the assumption that temperature take-back decreases owing to saturation effects when pre-intervention internal temperatures saturate (approaching 21 • C) in lieu of the hypothesis that low-income householders take the benefits of an energy efficiency intervention as extra warmth rather than energy savings. Third, an upper level or maximum take-back temperature was achieved for the dwellings ranging from 20.85 • C to 24.81 • C. Fourth, behavioural factors such as turning on the heating appear to be less relevant than physical factors such as energy-efficiency improvements to explain the increased of standardised mean internal air temperature. The study also suggests that local building characteristics (e.g. heating pipes routing) play an influential role and that to evaluate appropriateness of retrofitted energy-efficiency insulation measures pre-intervention variables such as internal temperatures, heating system and building fabric performance should be taken into account.

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Fuel poverty-induced ‘prebound effect’ in achieving the anticipated carbon savings from social housing retrofit

Cited by 37 publications

References 16 publications

Building Energy Assessment and Computer Simulation Applied to Social Housing in Spain

Building Energy Assessment and Computer Simulation Applied to Social Housing in Spain

Retrofit Poverty: Socioeconomic Spatial Disparities in Retrofit Subsidies Uptake

Effects of fabric retrofit insulation in a UK high-rise social housing building on temperature take-back

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