Towards systemic domestic retrofit: a social practices approach

Abstract

The current housing stock accounts will play an important role in achieving the 2050 national carbon reduction targets. Upgrading the energy performance of the existing housing stock is a significant challenge because retrofit activities are shaped by a wide range of fragmented policies, programmes, and actors. Existing approaches to housing retrofit focus on regulations, financial incentives, and information provision but it is argued these are insufficient to realise large--scale, deep changes in energy consumption. An agenda is proposed for systemic domestic retrofit to realise radical changes in the housing stock through community--based partnerships. These programmes are based on a social practices approach that promotes social innovation. Wide--ranging energy efficiency upgrades can be achieved through the development and realisation of customised solutions to local groups of houses through facilitated engagement between occupants, housing providers, community groups, local authorities, and construction professionals. Community--based domestic retrofit programmes serve to reframe the governance of domestic energy performance and suggest alternative routes for realising significant reductions in energy demand through changes in stakeholders' understanding and social practices (habits, perceptions and motivations) when coupled with physical interventions. Keywords: energy efficiency, housing, retrofit, socio--technical, social practices, sustainable consumption 2 Introduction High carbon consumption is embedded in contemporary British lifestyles and this is clearly evident in the domestic building stock. Housing accounts for over a quarter of the UK's carbon emissions and will play a significant role in meeting the stringent carbon reduction targets of 2050. The energy performance of houses is 'locked in' during design and construction activities, and opportunities for upgrade only arise during infrequent refurbishment activities. 1 Reflecting on domestic retrofit activities, a key conclusion was:'empirical evidence and experience suggest that it will be neither particularly easy nor particularly cheap to reduce energy use in buildings. However, there is a perception in government that energy efficiency in buildings is straightforward and requires minimal investment.' Oreszczyn and Lowe (2010: 110) Challenges to energy efficient domestic retrofit include a highly variegated housing stock, a low rate of property turnover, disruption and inconvenience to occupants, undesirable payback periods for many energy efficiency strategies, lack of occupant interest in energy efficiency, and the lack of a knowledgeable and competent workforce to advise homeowners and implement energy efficiency strategies. Whereas a small number of actors (notably national homebuilders and developers) dominate the new--build housing agenda, the existing housing stock involves thousands of product manufacturers, installers, local councils, and charity organisations as well as building owners and occupants. As such, developing and...

Socio-technical case study method in building performance evaluation

“…And despite the fact that technology/materiality is a component part of a number of articulations of SPT, it is seldom adequately conceptualized or operationalized in empirical investigations (e.g. Gram-Hanssen, 2011;Karvonen, 2013;Vlasova & Gram-Hanssen, 2014).…”

A socio-technical approach to post-occupancy evaluation: interactive adaptability in domestic retrofit

“…Recent sociotechnical research in the built environment and retrofit has begun to draw attention to this issue (e.g. Cole et al, 2008;Foulds et al, 2013;Gram-Hanssen, 2010;Haines & Mitchell, 2014;Ingle, Moezzi, Lutzenhiser, & Diamond, 2014;Judson & Maller, 2014;Karvonen, 2013;Tweed, 2013;Shove et al, 2008;Vlasova & Gram-Hanssen, 2014). This movement and the limitations of current POE have precipitated the authors' explicit adoption of the socio-technical approach for the FLASH project.…”

“…Gram-Hanssen, 2010); occupants' responses to retrofit and impacts of use of space on energy consumption (Tweed, 2013); and community-based programmes as a strategy to achieve systemic change in domestic retrofit of the UK housing stock (Karvonen, 2013).…”

“…Hutcheon & Handegord, 1983;Guy & Shove, 2000;Shove, Chappells, Lutzenhiser, & Hackett, 2008) and, within this, a body of empirical research (e.g. Foulds, Powell, & Seyfang, 2013;Gram-Hanssen, 2010;Karvonen, 2013;Tweed, 2013) representing an alternative approach to investigating issues related to buildings and energy.…”

Omställning – Tillväxt – Effektivisering : Energifrågor vid renovering av flerbostadshus

“…Miljonprogramsområden innebär bostadsområden som är storskaliga och likformigt planerade, samt uppvisar ofta olika former av sociala problem, exempelvis fattigdom och segregation (Broms Wessel, Tunström et al 2005). En stor anledning till att många miljonprogramshus renoverades under 1970-80-och 90-talen har därför främst varit (politiska) ambitioner att förbättra ett bostadsområdes sociala status för att få lägenheterna uthyrda, även om byggnaderna i många fall också haft driftproblem som Planeringsforskaren Andrew Karvonen (2013) har studerat energieffektiv renovering för enfamiljsvillor i Storbritannien och menar att lokala samarbetsgrupper kan väcka uppmärksamhet hos enskilda villaägare till energifrågornas betydelse. Energiforskarna Hauge, Thomsen et al (2013) har studerat hinder och drivkrafter för energieffektivisering vid renovering av bostadsrättslägenheter i Norge.…”