Hedgerows of different cultures: implications from a Canadian and English cross-cultural study

This paper outlines the functions and character of hedgerows in two different cultures through the investigation of different perspectives. Data from a small Canadian study in the Delta region of British Columbia was used to inform a larger study in two English counties. Although many aspects of the Canadian perspective on hedgerows were similar to that of the English perspective, the Canadian data highlighted the importance of cultural differences in hedged landscapes. These differences had important consequences for the way in which the hedgerows on the Delta were planned and managed and challenges the English perceptions of hedgerows and their management. The paper concludes that the ecological value of hedgerows are inevitably entwined with cultural feelings towards landscapes and that these cultural aspects have implications not only for the structure, function and ecological value of hedgerows, but also for the transfer of hedgerow knowledge between cultures

Farmer communities of practice and high-tech futures

In the past farmers have been key rural citizens as farming has played an important role in local rural economies. Today there is a reduction in the number of people working on the land and farms as a business no longer make such a large direct economic contribution. At the same time the importance of farmers for managing farmland for wildlife, landscape value and tourism has been increasing. Yet commercial pressures mean that many farmers are leaving the profession or becoming more specialised, and it is no longer clear to many of them how they will continue to play an important economic role in the future. Although they are physically dispersed, individual farmers are part of a farming community - living, working and interacting with one another. Current trends run the risk of placing an increasing strain on their ability to work together as a ‘community of practice’ and experience a clear, shared, farming identity. At the same time new agricultural technologies are being developed that also impact on the relationships that farmers have with others. For example, genetically modified crops, which have the potential to drive a wedge between farmers who may see the future of agriculture differently, but they can also demand, or be opportunities for greater farmer co-operation. Drawing on the findings of our study on farmers understandings of new, future technologies and genetically modified crops, this paper considers the impact of new agricultural technologies on farmer communities of practice

Farmers' attitudes, perceptions and the management of field boundary vegetation on farmland

Boundary vegetation is an important resource for farmland wildlife, for biodiversity and as a landscape component. However, the management of such areas has been generally neglected over recent years. This paper draws on the findings from two studies of farmers' and others' perceptions of field boundary management, to suggest ways of ameliorating this. The studies used complementary techniques - a detailed questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews. Management of field boundaries varied, depending on the way farmers perceived and valued them and on a range of external influences. While commercial aspects generally dominated field boundary management, both farmers, professionals and the wider public also appreciated hedgerows as landscape or countryside features. The study suggests it may be useful to build on or influence these attitudes to maintain or enhance the conservation value of field boundary vegetation

Increasing response rates and improving research design: Learnings from the Smart Energy Research Lab in the United Kingdom

Obtaining high-resolution energy consumption data from a large, representative sample of homes is critical for research, but low response rates, sample bias and high recruitment costs form substantial barriers. The widespread installation of smart meters offers a novel route to access such data, but in countries like Great Britain (GB) consent is required from each household; a real barrier to large-scale sampling. In this paper we show how certain study design choices can impact the response rate for energy studies requesting access to half-hourly smart meter data and (optional) survey completion. We used a randomised control trial (RCT) with a 3×2×2 factorial design; 3 (including none) incentive groups ×2 message content/structures ×2 ‘push-to-web’ treatment groups. Up to 4 mailings (letters) were sent to 18,000 addresses, recruiting 1711 participants (9.5% response rate) in England and Wales. The most effective strategy offered a conditional £5 voucher and postal response options in multiple mailings (compared to only once in the push-to-web approach, although at the expense of far fewer online signups). Motivational headlines and message structure were also found to be influential. Reminders increased response but a 4th mailing was not cost effective. Our results and recommendations can be used to help future energy studies to achieve greater response rates and improved representation. UK-based researchers can apply to use our longitudinal smart meter and contextual datasets

Utilising smart meter data for research and innovation in the UK

Great Britain aims to install 53 million smart electricity and gas meters in around 27 million domestic properties by 2020. Smart meters provide the potential for high-resolution electricity and gas consumption data that has never previously existed on a national scale.To leverage this national investment, UK Research and Innovation has funded a sizeable project to develop a Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL) to provide access to smart meter energy data for UK researchers. A primary objective of SERL is to develop a secure research portal for researchers to access energy data, linked to relevant contextual data (e.g. socio-demographics, building characteristics and weather data), thereby facilitating high-quality scientific research. This paper focuses on data availability and will discuss the benefits, challenges and methods for developing a national data resource that will support a wide range of research across the energy sector. The paper provides practical guidance to researchers who want to utilise SERL data directly, as well as insights for researchers, policy-makers or other organizations who wish to utilise smart energy data more broadly. Issues discussed include the complexities of data governance and quality associated with smart energy data, innovative approaches to research design (enabling both Observatory and Laboratory functions) and practical solutions to sector-wide issues such as smart meter consumer authentication

The SERL Observatory Dataset: Longitudinal Smart Meter Electricity and Gas Data, Survey, EPC and Climate Data for over 13,000 Households in Great Britain

The Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL) Observatory dataset described here comprises half-hourly and daily electricity and gas data, SERL survey data, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) input data and 24 local hourly climate reanalysis variables from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for over 13,000 households in Great Britain (GB). Participants were recruited in September 2019, September 2020 and January 2021 and their smart meter data are collected from up to one year prior to sign up. Data collection will continue until at least August 2022, and longer if funding allows. Survey data relating to the dwelling, appliances, household demographics and attitudes were collected at sign up. Data are linked at the household level and UK-based academic researchers can apply for access within a secure virtual environment for research projects in the public interest. This is a data descriptor paper describing how the data were collected, the variables available and the representativeness of the sample compared to national estimates. It is intended to be a guide for researchers working with or considering using the SERL Observatory dataset, or simply looking to learn more about it

Survey study on energy use in UK homes during Covid-19

To contain the spread of Covid-19, governments across the world imposed partial or complete lockdowns. National energy demand decreased in periods of lockdowns; however, as people spent more time at home, residential energy use likely increased. This paper reports the results of a UK survey study (N = 1016 participants) about their energy-use practices during the first lockdown in March 2020. The results indicated that self-reported heating behaviours did not substantially change during lockdown. Regarding appliance use, in particular the duration of usage for televisions and computing equipment has increased and has spread more over the day. Being less able to manage financially was correlated with a greater usage of the smart meter in-home display and a greater attempt to save energy was positively correlated with greater usage of the in-home display, though correlations were small. In summary, the results indicate that home energy-use behaviours, in particular around heating, did not change as much as might have been expected, which might at least partly be explained by the comparatively warm weather during the first lockdown. Corroborating the survey findings with actual energy data is the next essential step to understand findings in more detail

The over-prediction of energy use by EPCs in Great Britain: A comparison of EPC-modelled and metered primary energy use intensity

This analysis compares the difference between the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)-modelled and smart-meter measured annual energy use on a like-for-like basis in 1,374 gas-heated British households from the Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL) Observatory. EPCs and metered energy use were converted to primary energy use intensity (PEUI) to provide a comparison of the same quantity for the first time. We show that EPCs predict significantly more energy use than metered in homes in Great Britain. EPC bands A and B show no statistically significant difference, but all other bands show a significant gap which increases as EPC rating worsens. The PEUI gap widens from −26 kWh/yr/m2 (−8%) for band C to −276 kWh/y/m2 (−48%) for bands F and G. Unlike previous research, we show that the difference persists in homes matching the EPC-model assumptions regarding occupancy, thermostat set-point and whole-home heating; suggesting that occupant behaviour is unlikely to fully explain the discrepancy. EPCs are a core tool in the residential energy sector, and the gap between EPC-modelled and metered energy use could have a significant impact on policy, research, and industry. Future research should investigate disaggregated components of energy use, the underlying thermal model, and assumptions regarding building characteristics