Post occupancy evaluation of social housing designed and built to Code for Sustainable Homes Levels 3, 4 and 5

In the housing sector, carbon emissions arise primarily through the consumption of energy to heat, light and ventilate our homes. Significant improvements in UK housing energy performance have been driven both by changes in legislation, and by the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2007. Compliance with certain levels of this Code has been adopted as policy by Local and Regional Authorities, and social housing providers. The evaluation of the performance of low carbon housing requires the assessment of increasingly complex building services technology, and occupant behaviour. This added services complexity, and the expectation that tenants understand how to use it, has led to a number of unintended consequences which have resulted in a higher risk of performance failure. This study comprises the detailed evaluation of seven new social housing dwellings, designed and built to Code levels 3, 4 and 5, including comprehensive environmental monitoring, measurements of the consumption and generation of resources, and social surveys of the occupants. The results show that as the Code levels increase there is a reducing energy and water consumption rate, and an increasing energy generation rate, but only at the expense of a significantly increased risk of services system failure

Carbon regulation and pathways for institutional transition in market-led housing systems : a case study of English housebuilders and zero carbon housing policy

In this paper, we argue that current research on carbon regulation neglects the complex interactions of institutional norms and market behaviour that characterise responses to regulatory change. We draw on empirical research undertaken with English housebuilders and housing market stakeholders to examine how transitional pathways towards a low-carbon housing future might be advanced and consider the implications of such for carbon regulation and low-carbon economies. Our core proposition is that carbon regulation research can no longer ignore the impact of institutionally constituted market behaviour in shaping pathways and transitions towards low-carbon futures

Resilience, redundancy and low-carbon living: co-producing individual and community learning

There is an acknowledged need for buildings and communities to be more resilient in the face of unpredictable effects of climate change, economic crises and energy supplies. The notion and social practices involving redundancy (the ability to switch between numerous available choices beyond optimal design) are explored as an aspect of resilience theory. Practice and Social Learning theories are used as a lens through which to explore the available redundancy in housing and home environments to help prevent performance failure through unexpected circumstances or in response to varying user needs. Findings from an in depth UK housing case study show how redundancy is linked with the capacity to share resources and to learn both individually and collectively as a community. Such learning in relation to resilient low-carbon living is shown to be co-produced effectively through participatory action research. The benefits of introducing extra redundancy in housing design and community development to accommodate varied user’s understanding and preferences are discussed in relation to future proofing, value and scalar issues. Recommendations include better understanding of the design, time and monetary contribution needed to implement social or technical redundancy. These costs should be evaluated in context of savings made through greater resilience achieved

Dragon-breath and snow-melt: know-how, experience and heat flows in the home

People manage heat flows in their homes through diverse skilful engagements, including interactions with a wide range of materials that help to generate heat, move it around, or prevent its movement. Using these strategies, we try to ensure that heat is where it is needed, when it is needed, and can also try to minimise its wastage (heat-out-of place and heat-out-of-time). However, the practical knowledge or know-how used in managing these thermal flows has received little attention to date, despite its relevance to topical debates on energy consumption. This paper explores how experience-based know-how is used in monitoring and managing heat flows in the home. I also consider three processes that stimulate the development of new know-how: changes in the life-course, in material arrangements, and in shared understandings. These themes are illustrated using quotes from various sources, such as web forums and advice sites. Finally, I consider how these ideas relate to wider theories of experience and know-how, and offer some reflections on what this approach might mean for research, policy and practice on sustainable energy use