Retrofit at scale:Accelerating capabilities for domestic building stocks

Highlights Retrofitting domestic buildings is essential for meeting targets to mitigate the catastrophic impacts of our changing climate. Current rates of retrofitting are far lower than necessary for achieving global net zero climate targets. To date in privately owned homes, policymakers have largely relied on piecemeal activity and often short-lived retrofitting programmes and financial incentives. Consequently, this special issue explores what capabilities and capacities are needed to deliver retrofit at scale. Looking across different scales—national, municipal, neighbourhood and individual sites—this special issue provides insights to shape policies, organisational structures and delivery strategies for different scales, building types and supply chain actors. These papers highlight the need for a clearer definition of what retrofit incorporates, alongside the collection of high-quality data and rigorous building metrics. In addition, diverse business models are needed to ensure that a variety of actors across the public and private sectors are well positioned to engage in coordinating building retrofit at scale. Finally, it is essential that any acceleration of retrofitting activity is coupled with consumer protection mechanisms and support for developing supply chains which incorporates both existing workers and encouragement for new entrants. It is only through this multifaceted approach that domestic building retrofit can be delivered at the speed and scale necessary

Effectiveness of energy renovations: a reassessment based on actual consumption savings

Energy renovations offer unique opportunities to increase the energy efficiency of the built environment and for the existing housing stock, they are the most important solution. Usually, energy savings are based on modelling calculations. However, recent research has shown that the predicted energy consumption differs largely from the actual consumption. In this paper, the effectiveness of energy measures is re-assessed based on actual consumption data. We use a monitoring system, which contains information about the energy performance of around 60% of the Dutch non-profit housing sector (circa 1.2 million dwellings). We connect the data from this monitoring system to actual energy consumption data from Statistics Netherlands on a dwelling level. Using longitudinal analysis methods, from 2010 to 2014, we are able to identify the energy efficiency improvements of the stock and determine the effectiveness of different measures in terms of actual energy savings. The results reveal the actual energy savings of different efficiency measures and highlight the significance of the actual energy consumption when a renovation is planned or realized

Energy efficiency measures implemented in the Dutch non-profit housing sector

The existing housing stock plays a major role in meeting the energy efficiency targets set in EU member states such as the Netherlands. The non-profit housing sector in this country dominates the housing market as it represents 31% of the total housing stock. The focus of this paper is to examine the energy efficiency measures that are currently applied in this sector and their effects on the energy performance. The information necessary for the research is drawn from a monitoring system that contains data about the physical state and the energy performance of more than 1.5 million dwellings in the sector. The method followed is based on the statistical modeling and data analysis of physical properties regarding energy efficiency, general dwellings’ characteristics and energy performance of 757,614 households. The outcomes of this research provide insight in the energy efficiency measures applied to the existing residential stock. Most of the changes regard the heating and domestic hot water (DHW) systems, and the glazing. The rest of the building envelope elements are not improved at the same frequency. The results show that the goals for this sector will be hard to achieve if the same strategy for renovation is followed

Sustainable Neighbourhood Transformation

Urban renewal through the large-scale restructuring of post-war neighbourhoods is a major challenge throughout Europe in the decades ahead. Current urban restructuring programmes in the Netherlands focus on the demolition and replacement of the existing housing stock. The motivation behind this strategy is creating a better social mix between ‘poor’ and ‘better-off’ households, to improve the general quality of the housing stock and to create a financially viable restructuring programme. The general aim is to improve various aspects of sustainability in urban neighbourhoods. Are demolition and replacement strategies the most effective and efficient way to achieve this objective? In this book, we examine the effects of demolition and replacement strategies on sustainability from different perspectives. An economic perspective: the market position and the value of the neighbourhoods, a social perspective: the levels of social capital and residential stability, and an environmental perspective: the energy efficiency and the use of materials in restructuring strategies

Problems in enforcing Dutch building regulations

Purpose - The paper seeks to define the nature of the policy problems in Dutch building control. Design/methodology/approach - The authors use Dunn's four-phase methodology for public policy analysis, consisting of problem sensing, problem search, problem definition, and problem specification. Both a literature review and a field study into the operation of local building control authorities were undertaken. The field study incorporates characteristics of a survey, with methodology developed by Fowler. Findings - Dutch building control legislation has been subject to many changes over the 100 years or so that it has been in force as it has responded to society's changing priorities. Throughout this period building regulation has become more detailed and more uniform across the country. Nevertheless, almost no legal changes have been made to the enforcement system. Responsibility for building control still lies with the municipalities and implementation is still not established by national legislation or policy document. Ongoing attempts to deregulate and standardise the legislative framework should therefore not stop at changing the regulations. Changes in the supervision system might offer an alternative route to improving the quality of the (technical) building control and clarifying the tasks and responsibilities of building control staff. Research limitations/implications - The analysis focuses on problems in building control and does not consider design and construction problems. Practical implications - The field study contains important lessons forbuilding control practitioners and policymakers regarding current deficiencies in the implementation of building control legislation. Originality/value - The paper provides a model for the analysis, and comparative study, of building control systems in other jurisdictions

Biochemical composition of salivary stones in relation to stone- and patient-related factors

Salivary stones are calcified structures most often found in the main duct of the submandibular or parotid salivary gland. They contain of a core surrounded by laminated layers of organic and inorganic material. Submandibular and parotid sialoliths (n=155) were collected at the department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery of a general hospital between February 1982 and September 2012. The weight of the sialoliths was determined and the consistency was subjectively classified. Subsequently, the biochemical composition of the stones was determined by wet chemical methods or FT-IR spectrometry. Age and gender of the patients were retrieved from their medical records. Data were statistically analyzed using Fisher?s exact tests. Sialoliths are mainly composed of inorganic material. Carbonate apatite was identified in 99% of the stones, phosphate in 88%, calcium in 87%, magnesium in 68%, struvite in 44%, oxalate in 38% and carbonate in 35%. Solid salivary stones contain more frequently struvite than stones with a soft consistency (p=0.05). Larger stones (>100mg) contain more frequently carbonate (p=0.05). Stones from older patients (?38years) showed an almost significant trend towards more frequent presence of phosphate (p=0.083). The biochemical composition of submandibular and parotid sialoliths is related to stone-related factors, probably to age but not to the gender of the patient

Traumatic lingual ulceration in a newborn: Riga-Fede disease

Riga Fede disease is a reactive mucosal disease as a result of repetitive trauma of the tongue by the anterior primary teeth during forward and backward movement. Although the aspect of the lesion might be impressive, its nature is relatively benign. The history and clinical features are most often so typical that there is seldom a need for addititonal histopathological examination. Riga Fede disease can most often be treated with conservative measures only. Beside the presentation of a six-month-old boy with Riga Fede disease, the literature has been reviewed as well. From this review it can be concluded that Riga Fede disease is almost exclusively restricted to the tongue, occurs soon after birth when associated with (neo)natal teeth, has a male predilection, and is in one quarter of the cases associated with neurologic disorders. In the later case, Riga Fede disease develops after the age of 6 months

Sialendoscopy increases saliva secretion and reduces xerostomia up to 60 weeks in Sjogren's syndrome patients:a randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of sialendoscopy of the major salivary glands on salivary flow and xerostomia in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS). METHODS: Forty-five patients with SS were randomly assigned to a control group (no irrigation, control, n = 15), to irrigation of the major salivary glands with saline (saline, n = 15) or to irrigation with saline followed by corticosteroid application (triamcinolone acetonide in saline, saline/TA, n = 15). Unstimulated whole saliva flow (UWSF), chewing-stimulated whole saliva flow (SWSF), citric acid-stimulated parotid flow, Clinical Oral Dryness Score (CODS), Xerostomia Inventory (XI) and EULAR SS Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) scores were obtained 1 week before (T0), and 1, 8, 16, 24, 36, 48 and 60 weeks after sialendoscopy. Data were analysed using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Irrespective of the irrigation protocol used, sialendoscopy resulted in an increased salivary flow during follow-up up to 60 weeks. Significant between-group differences in the longitudinal course of outcomes were found for UWSF, SWSF, XI and ESSPRI scores (P = 0.028, P = 0.001, P = 0.03, P = 0.021, respectively). UWSF at 60 weeks was higher compared with T0 in the saline group (median: 0.14 vs median: 0.10, P = 0.02) and in the saline/TA group (median: 0.20, vs 0.13, P = 0.035). In the saline/TA group SWSF at 48 weeks was higher compared with T0 (median: 0.74 vs 0.38, P = 0.004). Increase in unstimulated salivary flow was also reflected in improved CODS, XI and ESSPRI scores compared with baseline. CONCLUSION: Irrigation of the major salivary glands in patients with SS increases salivary flow and reduces xerostomia