Ventilation regulations and occupant practices: undetectable pollution and invisible extraction

This sociotechnical investigation examines the use of ventilation systems in homes in London, UK. These homes were built with ventilation systems as described by guidance in the UK Building Regulations Approved Document F. These systems are assumed to provide adequate ventilation rates. However, previous measurements in these homes show that ventilation rates are inadequate. Using social practice theory as a framework to analyse the qualitative data, the intended use of the ventilation systems is compared to participants’ actual practices of manipulating the indoor air, revealing discrepancies between the two. Occupants had limited knowledge of indoor pollutants but were highly motivated to control and interact with the smells and air in their homes. They primarily used technologies that were not part of the planned system, because the latter’s functioning was opaque to occupants and not well connected to their other practices. The highlighted discrepancies in four case study homes between planned and actual ventilation system operation help to identify how future systems could be improved to ensure adequate ventilation rates and good indoor air quality in airtight homes

Peer-to-Peer energy trading, independence aspirations and financial benefits among Nigerian households

This paper demonstrates how preferences for energy trading are influenced by autarky aspirations and possible financial benefits from energy trading in the form of lower energy expenses and additional income. It presents findings from a survey on preferences for energy trading on a community-based platform within a residential estate setting. The survey included a choice experiment of hypothetical home choices with the possibility of energy trading on a peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading platform. It also distinguished between preferences for buying and selling. Participants were 649 residents of housing estates in Ibadan, a Nigerian city. According to our logistic regression analysis, willingness to participate in energy trading was influenced by autarky aspirations and financial benefits. The financial benefits that interest respondents include gaining additional income from P2P energy trading and reducing overall power expenses. The autarky benefit that drives interest in P2P is “reduced reliance” on the grid for electricity. Real estate developers could therefore capitalise on consumers' high levels of interest in the benefits of homes with P2P energy trading capabilities. Nigerian energy policymakers should put in place structures that support P2P because P2P energy trading can unlock the additional value of solar PV for residential consumers

Living with demand response: Insights from a field study of DSR using heat pumps

Demand response with domestic heat pumps has gained interest in recent years. It is seen as a possible solution to the need to balance electricity grids that are sourcing a higher proportion of their electricity from variable low-carbon electricity sources. Although many modelling studies suggest that demand response with heat pumps will be successful, we have little knowledge of their real-world impacts, including the impact on indoor conditions and the perception of these. This study compares what happened in three homes of early adopters of heat pumps with demand-side response (DSR). In the three households, the operation of the heat pump was constrained from 4pm to 7pm to provide demand response. Drawing on technical monitoring, we report on indoor conditions in the home and heat pump operation. Drawing on interviews and informed by social practice theory, we explore how comfort at home is experienced and achieved. The focus of the study is on the indoor conditions as the material background for daily practices, and on how these are sensed, interpreted, and created through comfort practices. The analysis of the results revealed that air and surface temperatures dropped during demand response (air temperature dropped 0.3-1.1 degrees in 3 hours). However, these changes were sensed and interpreted differently by different participants: (1) not perceived, (2) noticed but tolerated without affecting DSR or (3) not tolerated. Although material adjustments were common in (2) and (3), the nature of the adjustment depended on the know-how of the participants and the meaning associated with temperature changes; for example, (2) adopted new materials (e.g., clothes) while (3) changed the operation of the heat pump to produce more acceptable indoor conditions. The findings challenge conventional modelling assumptions that demand response is unnoticed by people if the indoor temperature remains within the limits of steady-state models of thermal comfort and reveal how demand response is negotiated and incorporated into daily practices

Demand response with heat pumps: Practical implementation of three different control options

The electrification of heating and transport and decarbonisation of supply creates a need for demand side flexibility to balance the grid. Heat pumps are expected to form a major part of heat delivery, and many modelling studies have investigated the technical potential of heat pump demand response. However, little empirical work has been reported on the practical implementation of such demand response in occupied homes. This paper presents a cross-case comparison of three early adopters of heat pump demand response in the UK. The aim was to reduce heat pump electricity consumption during the same peak period, but each employed a different control strategy: lowered air temperature setpoints, lowered flow temperature and blocked heat pump compressor. A 56–90% electricity reduction during the peak period was observed; the success of the demand response depended on how the control strategy affected the heat pump and the rest of the heating system. However, no one stakeholder is responsible for all these system components. The fabric, heating distribution and control system and heat pumps installed are highly heterogeneous across the stock, highlighting that flexibility mechanisms must be developed that can be tailored to or work across their range

Thermostat settings in English houses: No evidence of change between 1984 and 2007

Rising demand temperatures are widely blamed for UK home energy use not declining over time despite the increased efficiency of dwelling envelopes and heating technologies The hypothesis that thermostat settings have risen over time is tested using a repeated cross-sectional social survey of owners of centrally heated English houses No statistical evidence for changes in reported thermostat settings between 1984 and 2007 is foundWhy then has home energy use not declined over time despite homes apparently becoming more efficient? There is evidence that the energy efficiency of homes has not improved as much as previously assumed Improvements in dwelling energy efficiency and increased penetration of central heating would have increased internal temperatures without occupants demanding higher temperatures Dwelling area heated or duration of heating or window opening during the heating season may have increased over time increasing temperatures or energy us

Influencing the central heating technologies installed in homes:The role of social capital in supply chain networks

AbstractThe likely installation of, and potential energy savings from, low carbon technologies in domestic buildings is not only dependent on those who fit them, but also the broader supply chains of which they are part. Despite this, the role of supply chain actors has been largely overlooked in strategies seeking to encourage the installation of more sustainable domestic heating technologies. With reference to central heating, this paper responds through an ethnographic analysis of how plumbers' merchants and sales representatives can influence the work of heating installers in the United Kingdom. It applies two dimensions of the concept of ‘social capital’: relational and structural. Relational social capital focuses on the trust, loyalty and reciprocity at play in relations, whilst structural social capital considers how the strength of tie can influence those to whom people turn for advice and support. Together, these ideas demonstrate how relationships amongst these groups can serve to influence product choice and facilitate information exchange. The paper concludes by discussing how these supply chains might be engaged with as a means of encouraging the installation of low carbon domestic technologies

How installers select and explain domestic heating controls

Though central heating controls have the potential to reduce the energy consumed through domestic space heating, their installation does not guarantee savings. End users do not always understand their controls, or operate them in an energy-efficient way, but there is little appreciation of why this is. Drawing on an ethnographic study, this paper investigates how installers select and explain central heating controls. With reference to the concept of technology scripting, which suggests that the assumptions made about users during the design of devices can influence their eventual use, it shows how heating installers also draw on certain user scripts. Through these means the paper illuminates the significant role that heating installers play in influencing the control products fitted into homes, and how they might be used. Though their use of these scripts is understandable, it is not always conducive to ensuring that central heating systems are operated in the most energy-efficient way. It is suggested that industry and policy-makers might engage with how installers understand users and revise current guidelines to foster better communication between them

Ventilation regulations and occupant practices: undetectable pollution and invisible extraction

This sociotechnical investigation examines the use of ventilation systems in homes in London, UK. These homes were built with ventilation systems as described by guidance in the UK Building Regulations Approved Document F. These systems are assumed to provide adequate ventilation rates. However, previous measurements in these homes show that ventilation rates are inadequate. Using social practice theory as a framework to analyse the qualitative data, the intended use of the ventilation systems is compared to participants’ actual practices of manipulating the indoor air, revealing discrepancies between the two. Occupants had limited knowledge of indoor pollutants but were highly motivated to control and interact with the smells and air in their homes. They primarily used technologies that were not part of the planned system, because the latter’s functioning was opaque to occupants and not well connected to their other practices. The highlighted discrepancies in four case study homes between planned and actual ventilation system operation help to identify how future systems could be improved to ensure adequate ventilation rates and good indoor air quality in airtight homes. Policy relevance This research investigates the extent to which the intended operation of domestic ventilation systems set out in Approved Document F to the UK Building Regulations is accomplished in practice. The findings show that ventilation equipment is not used as intended. The research suggests a need for future guidance to more actively consider routes by which occupants can learn how to use and maintain their ventilation systems, and how to identify and remove indoor air pollution. There is a risk of continuing underventilation in homes unless efforts are made to ensure the systems are easily interpretable and robust to a reasonable range of internal conditions and social contexts