Improving the installation of renewable heating technology in UK social housing properties through user centred design
Social housing organisations are increasingly installing renewable energy technologies, particularly for the provision of heating and hot water. To meet carbon reduction targets, uptake and installation must allow occupants to use the technology effectively. This paper describes research which investigated the service of installing heat pumps into UK social housing properties, from both landlords’ and tenants’ experiences. Adopting a user centred design approach, the research was in three phases: an exploration study to investigate landlords’ and tenants’ experiences of heat pump installation and us...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Moore, N., Haines, V., Lilley, D. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Diagramming social practice theory: An interdisciplinary experiment exploring practices as networks
Achieving a transition to a low-carbon energy system is now widely recognised as a key challenge facing humanity. To date, the vast majority of research addressing this challenge has been conducted within the disciplines of science, engineering and economics utilising quantitative and modelling techniques. However, there is growing awareness that meeting energy challenges requires fundamentally sociotechnical solutions and that the social sciences have an important role to play. This is an interdisciplinary challenge but, to date, there remain very few explorations of, or reflections on, interdisciplinary energy research i...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Higginson, S., McKenna, E., Hargreaves, T., Chilvers, J., Thomson, M. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
A psychology perspective of energy consumption in organisations: The value of participatory interventions
In conclusion, we argue that it is ineffective to promote energy-saving behaviours through top-down communication (e.g. information campaigns) but that decision-makers should rather rely on participatory designs, since these facilitate consumers' involvement, increase intrinsic motivation to save energy, take consumers' social environment into account, establish new energy-consumption norms, and encourage overt commitment of individuals to energy savings. Furthermore, we outline how participatory interventions could be strengthened by using motivational interviewing (MI) techniques, a conversation style that could be utili...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Endrejat, P. C., Klonek, F. E., Kauffeld, S. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Outside influence - Some effects of retrofit installers and advisors on energy behaviours in households
We analyse qualitative data from home energy retrofit projects in England, looking beyond the boundaries of the building and its design for human behavioural influences on home energy use. We recognise that energy use is not solely determined by the decisions of building users or designers, but that intermediaries involved in energy retrofit may also be influential. Our focus is on retrofit which encompasses a range of changes to existing buildings to alter energy use. Decisions to incorporate new energy technologies into the home (both energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies), and how these technologies are th...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Owen, A., Mitchell, G. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Improving energy efficiency in private rented housing: Why don't landlords act?
The private rented sector in England contains some of the least energy efficient properties in the country and houses more vulnerable households than any other sector. Occupants endure dangerously cold homes and fuel poverty but have no direct influence over the energy performance of their homes. The choices that occupants make regarding energy are constrained by the material characteristics of a property: something only the landlord can alter. Enduringly poor conditions in the sector indicate that an initiative that convinces landlords of the benefits of improving energy efficiency remains elusive. Based on a review of ex...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Ambrose, A. R. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Peak residential electricity demand and social practices: Deriving flexibility and greenhouse gas intensities from time use and locational data
Peak residential electricity demand takes place when people conduct simultaneous activities at specific times of the day. Social practices generate patterns of demand and can help understand why, where, with whom and when energy services are used at peak time. The aim of this work is to make use of recent UK time use and locational data to better understand: (i) how a set of component indices on synchronisation, variation, sharing and mobility indicate flexibility to shift demand; and (ii) the links between people's activities and peaks in greenhouse gases' intensities. The analysis is based on a recent UK time use dataset...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Torriti, J., Hanna, R., Anderson, B., Yeboah, G., Druckman, A. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Embedding smart energy technology in built environments: A comparative study of four smart grid demonstration projects
The smart grid has become important in energy discussions. Inspired by science and technology studies (STS), this article compares four smart grid demonstration projects that engage households in Norway, where much activity has been triggered by a mandatory roll-out of smart electricity meters by 2019. We ask how local actors across different sectors interpret the potential of smart electricity meters, and how different understandings lead to diverging innovation strategies. The result is four case studies illustrating how smart grid set-ups are constructed, and how new smart technologies are socialized into pre-existing l...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Skjolsvold, T. M., Ryghaug, M. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Get bill smart: A community-partnership approach to supporting low-income households to achieve home energy savings
In this paper, we report on early findings from a low-income energy efficiency programme, get bill smart (GBS). The project trials a community-partnership approach to supporting low-income households to pursue energy savings and comfort improvements in their home. In our discussion, we examine the role of community action in facilitating improvements to the indoor built environment. Here, we reflect on the challenges and opportunities that have arisen in seeking to build community-capacity in a disadvantaged community. We observe that: the project design was effective in facilitating local ownership; its objectives did ali...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Watson, P., Gabriel, M., Rooney, M. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
People and energy use in the indoor and built environment
(Source: Indoor and Built Environment)
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Shipworth, M., Ucci, M. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Radon exhalation rates from some building materials used in Sudan
Measurements of radon concentration, surface and mass exhalation rates were made for 12 types (264 measurements) of building material samples frequently used in Sudan. In this survey, we used the can technique, containing CR-39, to estimate the radon exposure from building materials. The results of radon concentrations in the selected building materials ranged from 506 ± 79 Bq.m–3 in mud bricks of Aroma area to 128 ± 39 Bq.m–3 in ceramic material. The surface and mass exhalation rates ranged from 949 ± 70 mBq.m–2.h–1, 11.25 ± 1.76 mBq.kg–1 h–1 to 240 ± ...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - September 16, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Elzain, A.-E. A. Tags: Case Studies Source Type: research
Long-term simultaneous measurement of indoor concentration of radon and thoron progeny in the dwellings of Una and Hamirpur District of Himachal Pradesh
This study contributes to the status of Himachal Pradesh in the mapping of radon in India. (Source: Indoor and Built Environment)
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - September 16, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Bala, P., Mehra, R. Tags: Case Studies Source Type: research
Measurement of indoor radon, thoron and their progeny levels in dwellings of Union Territory Chandigarh, India: correlation with radon exhalation rates
Presence of radon, thoron and their decay products in household environment is considered a potential health hazard. Measurement of their levels is an important aspect to assess the threat they may pose to humans. Considering this their measurement from some dwellings of Union Territory Chandigarh, India has been carried out. Seasonal variation of these values has also been studied. A correlation study of exhalation rates from soil samples of areas close to the dwellings has also been carried out. The indoor radon concentration varied from 7.9 ± 0.5 to 39.2 ± 2.3 Bq m–3 with an average of 23.3 Bq m&ndas...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - September 16, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Mehta, V., Kumar, A., Singh, S. P., Chauhan, R. P., Mudahar, G. S. Tags: Case Studies Source Type: research
A combined, large, multi-faceted bulbous facade glazed curtain with open atrium as a natural ventilation solution for an energy efficient sustainable office building in Southern China
This paper investigates the ventilation performance of a stack system built with a bulbous facade glazed curtain and an open atrium in a six-storey office building, in DongGuan eco-park in southern China. Sustainable development, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and thermal comfort are the key criteria for the design; incorporating LingNan architectural cultural elements, with large open atrium for natural ventilation and openable windows to allow air movement throughout the building. The high energy load accentuated by the glazing would be offset by stack ventilation, to provide indoor circulation of air to...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - September 16, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Bai, G., Gong, G., Yu, C. W., Zhen, O. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Identifying the most influential parameter affecting natural ventilation performance in high-rise high-density residential buildings
In this study, computational fluid dynamics simulations are conducted for evaluating the combined impact of different configuration parameters so as to identify the configuration parameter that has the highest impact on natural ventilation performance of residential units. Statistical analysis of simulation results revealed that amongst the five studied parameters (i.e. ventilation mode, window type, orientation, window-to-wall ratio and living room area), natural ventilation performance, represented by mean age of air, is most affected by the ventilation mode adopted (i.e. cross or single-sided ventilation). (Source: Indo...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - September 16, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Fung, Y. W., Lee, W. L. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
The effects of direct sunlight on light shelf performance under tropical sky
As daylight is dynamic, there is no one common solution for all scenarios. Understanding of sky conditions is the fundamental to effective daylighting. It is more critical in tropical climate where the sky is predominantly intermediate with inconsistent presence of direct sunlight (DSL). Thereby, daylighting performances of several light shelf configurations were experimented with physical scaled model under actual tropical sky conditions. External illuminance and indoor work plane illuminance (WPI) levels were measured concurrently in a reference model and a test model for comparisons. Daylight ratio or daylight factor an...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - September 16, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Lim, Y.-W., Ahmad, M. H. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
