IDES-EDU – new interdisciplinary education program for Integral design of built environment

Buildings fulfilling all requirements related to energy, economy and environment are necessary to be designed by interdisciplinary teams with efficient transfer of information and good knowledge base. IDES EDU is a project co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe program in which 15 European universities make a concerted effort to develop and implement balanced master and postgraduate courses on Sustainable Energy Design providing skills and knowledge that exceed the requirements of the EPBD. The resulting courses focus on different aspects of sustainable building design from the perspective of architecture, building construction and building technologies.European Commission - Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation - IIE - Inteligent Energy Europ

Contextual and behavioural factors influencing human-building interaction in university offices: a cross-cultural comparison

This paper presents the outcomes of a survey questionnaire deployed in the buildings of the Faculty of Economics (FE) and Faculty of Arts (FA) of the University of Ljubljana (UL), Slovenia, in a cross-cultural comparison of previous results gathered in three analogous university buildings in Italy. Objective of this study, which was in the Slovenian cases supplemented by qualitative (ethnographic) research approaches, is to provide comparative insights into four key research objectives: (1) cultural, contextual and socio-demographic factors regarding interaction with shared environmental controls (such as adjustable thermostats, operable windows, blinds and shades, and artificial lighting), (2) group dynamics such as perceived social norms, attitudes, and intention to share controls, (3) occupant’s self-assessed ease of use and knowledge of how to operate control systems, and (4) occupant’s perceived comfort, satisfaction, and productivity. First cross-country comparison analysis implies that practices and habits on how occupants interact within public buildings present distinct patterns within EU countries. More broadly, this study attempts to confirm the validity of the mixed methods research, combining quantitative and qualitative inquiry, and the survey instrument, as a way to validate the robustness of outcomes for future studies. In addition, the paper aims at illustrating why and how insights from different fields of social science, including psychology, sociology and anthropology, can foster innovation in the area of adoption and acceptance of technologies in shared spaces. The final objective of the study is enhancing attractiveness and effectiveness of ICT solutions for increasing user awareness and information provisions targeting energy savings, office workers’ productivity and reduced operational energy costs, in the context of the EU H2020 MOBISTYLE project

People-Centred Approach for ICT Tools Supporting Energy Efficient and Healthy Behaviour in Buildings

This paper attempts to alter a prevailing assumption that buildings use energy to an understanding that in fact, people use energy. Therefore, to successfully accelerate the transition to a low-carbon society and economy more emphasis should be on motivating people and increasing their awareness leading to an energy efficient building use. In this context, this paper provides insights from the Horizon 2020 MOBISTYLE project. The aim of the MOBISTYLE project is to motivate behavioural change by raising consumer awareness through a provision of attractive personalized information on user’s energy use, indoor environment and health, through information and communication technology (ICT) based services. The most relevant motivational factors and key performance indicators (KPIs) for encouraging a more energy conscious and healthy lifestyle were defined by means of a people-centred approach, adopting anthropological inquiries in different settings located in different European Union (EU) countries. Behaviour change is achieved through awareness campaigns, which encourage users to be pro-active about their energy consumption and to simultaneously improve health and well-being

An Introduction to a Novel and Rapid nZEB Skill-Mapping and Qualification Framework Methodology

Successful design and construction processes aiming towards nearly zero energy building (nZEB) standards are a challenge for the whole construction industry in Europe. Realizing nZEB buildings requires innovative design processes, and technologies based on an integrated design approach facilitated by multidisciplinary work teams. The collaboration between architects, engineers, technical experts and building managers, is essential. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the specific involvement of each profession in order to develop mutual understanding of each others’ disciplines. Additionally, it is vital to provide professionals with the skills needed to achieve optimal nZEB construction and retrofitting in terms of quality, energy efficiency and cost effectiveness. However, this approach is not yet common, as the building sector is still very fragmented. The EU-funded H2020 project PROF/TRAC aims to tackle this issue by developing an Open Training Platform and a methodology for fast and valid co-creation of interdisciplinary qualification schemes for task-based Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for all professions involved. A common methodology for the mapping of skills and qualifications in the form of an Excel tool was developed as a basis, together with a guidance document. This paper presents the skill-mapping methodology, the use of its results to develop national roadmaps, and the BUILD UP Skills advisor app

Boosting affordability, acceptability and attractiveness of deep energy renovations of residential buildings – a people-centred ethnographic approach

A prevailing perception within the research field of energy and buildings is that buildings – and not people – consume energy. Researchers and practitioners often neglect the important effect of the actual behaviour of people living or working in buildings, together with the values, habits, motivation factors, and other practices connected to the energy use. The key aim of this paper is to demonstrate the added value of the ethnographic approaches and interdisciplinary analysis for understanding and influencing human behaviour to support and enhance deep energy renovation of residential buildings. It presents the methodology together with preliminary findings from a demonstration study in Slovenia. It concludes by providing case-specific recommendations in terms of affordability, acceptability and attractiveness by considering everyday lifestyles, motivations, and issues faced by actors involved in the renovation processes