Evaluating health benefits of urban energy retrofitting: an application for the city of Turin

The European Union (EU) has committed to lower GHG emissions for a 20% with respect to 1990 by 2020, reaching an 80% reduction by 2050. Renewable energy and buildings retrofitting will be key measures in cutting environmental impacts according to the new climate targets. The development of these energy-efficiency measures requires significant financial resources. The promotion of renewable-energy sources needs public acceptance to facilitate financial support for government. There is a growing body of literature that recognizes how the benefits of applying energy-efficiency measures outweigh the realization costs. Within this context, an evaluation of the whole range of co-impacts is crucial to compare different alternatives with the same objective. To implement a tool to assess the feasibility of a retrofitting project, firstly it is indispensable to identify the various possible benefits in a standardized manner and monetary terms. Secondly, it is fundamental to specify a logical path for assessing the attainment of these benefits, based on the features of the project. Recently, researchers have shown an increased interest in the evaluation of benefits. Despite this interest, very few studies have investigated the impact of the energy improvements of buildings on indoor comfort and human- health conditions. This work contributes to close the data gap in this context, investigating the health benefits connected to retrofitting interventions in residential buildings. A hybrid approach based on Contingent Valuation Method and economic analysis was applied to assess the impacts delivered by the energy retrofitting to an urban district in the city of Turin (Italy). A questionnaire was employed to elicit an estimate of consumers’ Willingness-To-Pay for better indoor comfort conditions and fewer hazards to health, reducing poor building features in terms of energy efficiency and air quality. A bidding game model was created to converge to the expected annual economic value of acceptable comfort conditions in the residential houses

Social marketing and residential electricity consumption: every kilowatt matters

This book chapter explores consumers’ attitudes towards climate change and energy resources along with their electricity consumption practices in the home. The discussion is situated within the wider context of sustainability. The research is important, because firstly, research into the electricity consumption practices of Australian households is surprisingly sparse, albeit growing (Moloney, Horne, and Fien, Energy Policy 38(12):7614–7623, 2010; Mullaly, Energy Policy, 26(14):1041–1052, 1998; Sommerfeld, Buys, and Vine, Energy Policy 105:10–16, 2017). Secondly, it is essential to gain a better insight into the ‘attitudes-behaviour’ gap which can underpin effective and targeted social marketing campaigns, and finally, promoting energy-efficient behaviours may play a role in climate change mitigation efforts. Findings are based on a consumer survey of 325 respondents in a regional city. The research shows that survey participants attach importance to minimizing electricity usage in the home and the adoption of roof-top solar systems is related to age, education, political affiliation and home ownership. The study shows that there is a divergence in attitudes towards the use of fossil fuels as a source of electricity generation, however patterns of electricity consumption in the home are quite similar across the sample. Recommendations therefore focus on behavioural modifications to reduce electricity use during peak demand and encourage the installation of electricity-saving devices in the home