Abstract
Energy efficiency research in dwellings has traditi
onally focused on technical
matters, implying increased fabric insulation stand
ards and using energy efficient
appliances reduces energy consumption. However this
research has been shown to
have limitations in the form of the impact of polic
y and new technologies. As a result
there is now widespread recognition of the importan
ce for researchers to engage a
broader approach of non-technical research of energ
y use such as occupant
behavior. Monitoring of energy use down to a single
appliance is now possible and
relatively inexpensive. This paper presents the res
ults of an ethnographic study,
supported by monitoring, of energy use patterns for
six dwellings with a diverse
occupant demographic in Ireland. The study supporte
d by monitoring found that
occupant sex, age and behavior predominantly affect
ed energy use followed by the
presence of technology rather than the building fab
ric itself. Energy use in older
technically less efficient dwellings with older occ
upants was found to be
substantially less than that of the younger occupan
ts in supposed more energy
efficient houses. When given feedback, occupants we
re dispassionate when
presented information in terms of energy units (kWh
) but absorbed information
straightforwardly once the same information was exp
ressed in monetary terms.
From the research it is clear that technology and m
odern living has had a
transformational effect on the way we use energy wh
ich pose many problems for the
future. Ethnographical research is a long establish
ed discipline in the field of social
science but its importance is just burgeoning in re
lation to understand energy use
patterns in buildings. Thus, in addition to the res
ults the paper presents the lessons
learned during the process and proposes a framework
for future ethnographical
research of energy use in dwellings.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Event | N: Proceedings of CLIMA 2013 - 11th REHVA World Congress and the 8th International Conference on IAQVEC - Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic Duration: 01 Jan 2013 → … |
Conference
Conference | N: Proceedings of CLIMA 2013 - 11th REHVA World Congress and the 8th International Conference on IAQVEC |
---|---|
City | Prague, Czech Republic |
Period | 01/01/2013 → … |