Quantifying energy demand reduction considering householder willingness to apply measures

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 maximise demand reduction.

Social networks and communication behaviour underlying smart home adoption in the UK

“…To address the urgent challenges associated with climate change and the move towards a low carbon society, changing energy demand has the capacity to support not only reductions in greenhouse gas emissions but also other key energy policy goals such as security and affordability (IPCC, 2018). The residential sector is reported to account for 27% of global energy consumption and 17% of CO2 emissions (Nejat et al, 2015), with considerable potential for emission reductions through rapid uptake of domestic solutions (Cosar-Jorda et al, 2019;Kesicki, 2012). Established techniques for helping reduce energy use in residential buildings include attic insulation, sealing drafts and double-glazed windows (Watson, 2015).…”

Householders as designers? Generating future energy services with United Kingdom home occupiers

“…• Provide 'added value' for those who are already 'engaged' but want to do more. For example, Cosar-Jorda et al [36] have demonstrated how personalised data could be used to inform householder decision making beyond retrofit.…”