Retrofitting the domestic built environment: investigating household perspectives towards energy efficiency technologies and behaviour

Retrofitting the UK domestic built environment presents an excellent opportunity to improve its energy performance. However, retrofitting homes is a complex challenge conflated by multiple factors. Due to this complexity, a shortfall exists between the full potential and realised adoption of energy efficiency measures in the UK, a phenomenon termed the ‘Energy Efficiency Gap’. While a number of technical or economic factors may help explain this gap, difficult to quantify factors, such as social motivations, barriers, and viewpoints towards energy are also significant and often under-emphasised in public policy. As such, in order to improve the understanding of the Energy Efficiency Gap and the uptake of future retrofit initiatives, this research adopted a socio-technical approach that considered social and technical retrofit factors together. Specifically, this research collected data from interviews, questionnaires, and a Q Study in the cities of Manchester and Cardiff, alongside a questionnaire that measured energy efficiency technology and behaviour preferences. An original contribution to knowledge was using the data to empirically identify motivations and barriers to adopting energy efficient technologies, as well as identifying household viewpoints towards energy use and linking them to retrofit technology and energy efficiency behaviour preferences. As a result of this research, specific policy recommendations are presented to help promote energy efficiency retrofits in the UK. This research was carried out as part of the Engineering & Physical Science Research Council and Sustainable Urban Environment research programme, “Re-Engineering the City 2020-2050 Urban Foresight and Transition Management (RETROFIT 2050)”.This research was carried out as part of the Engineering & Physical Science Research Council and Sustainable Urban Environment research programme, “Re-Engineering the City 2020-2050 Urban Foresight and Transition Management (RETROFIT 2050)”

The diffusion of domestic energy efficiency policies: A spatial perspective

National domestic energy-efficiency policies are unlikely to be implemented in a geographically uniform manner. This paper demonstrates the importance of socioeconomic, contextual, and local policy conditions in shaping the spatially heterogeneous response to a national policy. Through an assessment of the geographical and temporal variation in domestic energy-efficiency assessments provided under the United Kingdom’s Green Deal, the factors underpinning the spatial diffusion of this policy are identified. Spatial regression models show that the presence of young families, university educated residents, detached homes, and large households positively affects the uptake of energy-efficiency assessments whereas property market activity, personal incomes, the presence of self-employed residents, and the efficiency levels of the existing housing stock has a dampening effect. National incentives for policy implementation that are distributed through selected local authorities also work to promote the uptake of energy-efficiency assessments. Overall, the analysis clearly shows the importance of local factors in determining how national policies are implemented on the ground. This has important implications for policymakers in designing and administering national policy frameworks, in trading-off targeted implementation with fairness and uniformity, and in evaluating the local effectiveness of national policies

Pedro Calderón de la Barca : personajes sin madre

This thesis examines the image of the absent mother, and its implications, in a limited selection of plays by Pedro Calderon de la Barca. The characters studied are Segismundo and Rosaura from La vida es sueno , Semiramis from La hija del aire and Focas, Eraclio y Leonido from En la vida todo es verdad y todo mentira. The study was done from a psychoanalytic perspective, using as reference the theories of Erik Erikson, Jacques Lacan and John Bowlby. Erikson's ideas are based on Freud but with some changes, since he represents the ego's functions as well as a greater elaboration of classic psychoanalytical concepts. His main argument is that the ego's nature is determined not only by inner forces but by social and cultural influences. His theory encompasses a series of psychological development stages that occur throughout an individual's life cycle. Jacques Lacan obtained international fame through his personal interpretation of---and rupture with---Freud. The main emphasis of his work is in the importance of language as the mirror of the unconscious mind. John Bowlby is considered one of the most important psychiatrists of the twentieth century. His attachment theory is one of the principle theoretical developments in psychoanalysis in the latter part of this century. The purpose of this investigation was to give an explanation of the selected characters and their psychological development based on the proposed theories. The consequences of maternal deprivation and isolation manifest themselves in the development of the personality of the characters, mainly impeding the normal formation of the ego and super ego

Closing the Energy Efficiency Gap: A study linking demographics with barriers to adopting energy efficiency measures in the home

This paper presents a study which linked demographic variables with barriers affecting the adoption of domestic energy efficiency measures in large UK cities. The aim was to better understand the 'Energy Efficiency Gap' and improve the effectiveness of future energy efficiency initiatives. The data for this study was collected from 198 general population interviews (1.5-10 min) carried out across multiple locations in Manchester and Cardiff. The demographic variables were statistically linked to the identified barriers using a modified chi-square test of association (first order Rao-Scott corrected to compensate for multiple response data), and the effect size was estimated with an odds-ratio test. The results revealed that strong associations exist between demographics and barriers, specifically for the following variables: sex; marital status; education level; type of dwelling; number of occupants in household; residence (rent/own); and location (Manchester/Cardiff). The results and recommendations were aimed at city policy makers, local councils, and members of the construction/retrofit industry who are all working to improve the energy efficiency of the domestic built environment. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Investigating the link between well-being and energy use; an explorative case study between passive and active domestic energy management systems

The aim of this study was to explore how the remote control of appliances/lights (active energy management system) affected household well-being, compared to in-home displays (passive energy management system). A six-week exploratory study was conducted with 14 participants divided into the following three groups: active; passive; and no equipment. The effect on well-being was measured through thematic analysis of two semi-structured interviews for each participant, administered at the start and end of the study. The well-being themes were based on existing measures of Satisfaction and Affect. The energy demand for each participant was also measured for two weeks without intervention, and then compared after four weeks with either the passive or active energy management systems. These measurements were used to complement the well-being analysis. Overall, the measure of Affect increased in the passive group but Satisfaction decreased; however, all three measures on average decreased in the active group. The measured energy demand also highlighted a disconnect between well-being and domestic energy consumption. The results point to a need for further investigation in this field; otherwise, there is a risk that nationally implemented energy management solutions may negatively affect our happiness and well-being. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Motivations to adopting energy efficiency measures in the home

This paper presents a study that linked demographic variables with motivations for the adoption of domestic energy efficiency measures in UK cities. This study complements a previous paper that identified barriers, and together, the two papers aim to improve understanding of the 'energy efficiency gap' and improve the effectiveness of future energy efficiency initiatives. The data for this study were collected from 149 general population interviews (1·5- 10 min) carried out across multiple locations in Manchester and Cardiff. The demographic variables were statistically linked to the identified motivations using a modified chi-square test of association (first order Rao-Scott corrected to compensate for multiple response data), and the effect size was estimated with an odds ratio test. The results revealed that strong associations exist between demographics and motivations, specifically that saving money was associated with incomes greater than £40 000, married individuals and semi/detached homes; while the motivation of resource efficiency was associated with incomes less than £40 000, single individuals and flats/terraced homes. The results and recommendations are aimed at policy makers, local councils and members of the construction/retrofit industry who are all working to improve the energy efficiency of the domestic built environment

The subjective view of energy in the urban built environment: what are the social factors that affect our interaction with energy?

Retrofitting the UK domestic built environment presents an outstanding opportunity to cut CO2 emissions, reduce national energy demand, and improve building performance. However, empirical data shows that post-retrofit energy savings are often short of their potential gains. A number of technical factors may help explain this gap, but difficult to quantify social factors are also significant and often under-emphasised in public policy. The research presented in this paper seeks to identify social factors relevant to energy consumption in the UK, and thereby improve our understanding of how home occupants interact with energy. For this research, the "Q Methodology" was employed and 64 "Q Statements" were generated from 118 returned questionnaires administered in Cambridge, UK. The broad social themes identified were: renewable/sustainable energy supply; retrofitting; energy conservation behaviours; and contentment with current energy consumption. The identified social barriers were: location of home; lack of knowledge; waiting for better performance/aesthetics; house restrictions (listed status or no cavity walls); and occupant opposition. Future research will use these results as part of a wider "Q Study" to be carried out in Manchester and Cardiff