Improving sustainability of residential homes: occupants motivation and behaviour

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick X.W. Zou ◽  
Rebecca J. Yang

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate residential occupants’ motivations and behaviour on energy savings. Energy consumption in residential buildings is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Design/methodology/approach – By using an online survey questionnaire instrument, this research collected 504 sets of responses from households in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Findings – Through statistical analysis of the data collected, this research found that construction cost and government incentive were considered as the major influencing factors on achieving energy-efficient residential building development, and the lower bills resulted from the reduced energy and water consumption were considered as the most important benefits. The research also found that many households exhibited a high level of awareness and had implemented some sustainability improvement measures. It is suggested, based on these research findings, that governments should articulate, by means of education, the rationale and benefits of sustainable home development that are identified in this research and reduce material costs and increase government incentives. Originality/value – A framework on improving residential sustainability was proposed in this paper. Stakeholders in the sustainable home supply chain could use this framework as a reference to pave the way for energy efficient home development from their perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Farrukh Arif ◽  
Rabia Khalid ◽  
Nida Azhar

Depleting energy sources are forcing humans to preserve energy and utilize it wisely. Globally, researchers are working to find ways to manage the energy crisis. Residential buildings are considered to be in the most energy demanding sector. Therefore, efforts are being made to reduce the increasing energy consumption and make the buildings energy efficient. The paper focuses on finding ways to retrofit the existing residential buildings into energy efficient buildings. This study evaluated the energy performance of a G+2 residential building with a total of 3 floors covering an area of 991.68 sq. meters, to identify relevant potential improvement measures. An energy analysis of the building was performed using information modeling assisted with energy audit data for accurate and realistic analysis. It was found that there is potential for the reduction of the annual energy usage and annual energy cost up to 2.33% and 4.54% respectively, by making improvements in the window to wall ratio. Another potential energy cost saving of 14.8% can be achieved by changing Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) type, and 7.62% of a reduction in cost can be achieved through modification in lighting fixtures. Moreover, installing solar photovoltaic panels can save up to PKR 1 million, and natural ventilation could result in saving more than PKR 0.2 million annually.


2019 ◽  
pp. 728-755
Author(s):  
M. Mustafa Erdoğdu ◽  
Coşkun Karaca ◽  
Ali Kurultay

The amount of energy consumption in the residential buildings has a very significant share with nearly 30 percent in the total amount of energy consumption. Therefore, residential sector is identified in this chapter as being one of the areas with a large potential for energy savings. Inefficient dwelling construction and design methods are widely used in Turkey and only about five percent of residential buildings are insulated. Concerning the importance and immediate need in Turkey for energy-efficient residential building retrofitting, this chapter identifies economic benefits of such retrofitting by particularly focusing on heat transfers by conductivity, where the rate can be determined by surface size, thermal resistance of the building materials and their thickness.


Author(s):  
M. Mustafa Erdoğdu ◽  
Coşkun Karaca ◽  
Ali Kurultay

The amount of energy consumption in the residential buildings has a very significant share with nearly 30 percent in the total amount of energy consumption. Therefore, residential sector is identified in this chapter as being one of the areas with a large potential for energy savings. Inefficient dwelling construction and design methods are widely used in Turkey and only about five percent of residential buildings are insulated. Concerning the importance and immediate need in Turkey for energy-efficient residential building retrofitting, this chapter identifies economic benefits of such retrofitting by particularly focusing on heat transfers by conductivity, where the rate can be determined by surface size, thermal resistance of the building materials and their thickness.


Facilities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C.P. Sing ◽  
Venus W.C. Chan ◽  
Joseph H.K. Lai ◽  
Jane Matthews

Purpose Sustainable retrofitting of aged buildings plays a significant role in reducing energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to assess the performance and effectiveness of energy retrofit measures (ERMs) for an archetype of aged multi-storey residential buildings. Design/methodology/approach The methodology consists of three parts, namely, a desktop study including the selection of a case-study building and identification of ERM options for the building; development of a computer model to simulate the building’s energy use in the baseline scenario and different scenarios of ERMs; and evaluation of the ERMs based on energy-saving rate. Findings Among the 13 ERMs tested, lighting-related ERMs were found to be optimal measures while window fin is the least suitable option in terms of energy saving. Based on the research findings, a two-level retrofitting framework was developed for aged multi-storey buildings. Research limitations/implications Future studies may take a similar approach of this study to develop retrofitting frameworks for other types of buildings, and further research paper can be extended to study retrofitting for buildings in a district or a region. Practical implications The findings of this study can serve as a reference for building owners to select effective ERMs for aged multi-storey buildings, which invariably exist in developed cities. Originality/value This study presents a pioneering work where an energy model and a building archetype were used to analyze the energy savings of a variety of ERMs that are applicable to aged multi-storey buildings.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3876
Author(s):  
Sameh Monna ◽  
Adel Juaidi ◽  
Ramez Abdallah ◽  
Aiman Albatayneh ◽  
Patrick Dutournie ◽  
...  

Since buildings are one of the major contributors to global warming, efforts should be intensified to make them more energy-efficient, particularly existing buildings. This research intends to analyze the energy savings from a suggested retrofitting program using energy simulation for typical existing residential buildings. For the assessment of the energy retrofitting program using computer simulation, the most commonly utilized residential building types were selected. The energy consumption of those selected residential buildings was assessed, and a baseline for evaluating energy retrofitting was established. Three levels of retrofitting programs were implemented. These levels were ordered by cost, with the first level being the least costly and the third level is the most expensive. The simulation models were created for two different types of buildings in three different climatic zones in Palestine. The findings suggest that water heating, space heating, space cooling, and electric lighting are the highest energy consumers in ordinary houses. Level one measures resulted in a 19–24 percent decrease in energy consumption due to reduced heating and cooling loads. The use of a combination of levels one and two resulted in a decrease of energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting by 50–57%. The use of the three levels resulted in a decrease of 71–80% in total energy usage for heating, cooling, lighting, water heating, and air conditioning.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakeun Koo

PurposeThe present study aims to examine how consumers evaluate the extended human brands of athlete celebrities beyond their unique brand personality associated with sports. Athlete celebrities' unique image in sports is used as a human brand, and attitude toward the athlete brand extensions is investigated when the athlete's name is included in a new non-sport brand. The concepts of brand extensions were employed to develop the ideas of human brand extensions.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 198 participants answered online survey questions before and after being informed of athlete brand extensions. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is utilized to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe survey results indicated that athlete–product fit and image transfer positively influenced attitude toward the extension. In addition, attitude toward the athlete brand extensions was significantly influenced by consumers' pre-existing attitude toward the celebrity; however, not by celebrity's expertise.Originality/valueThe research findings imply that some brand extension concepts are applicable to human brands to understand the effectiveness of athlete brand extensions for non-sport products.


Facilities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 825-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Andre Søraa ◽  
Håkon Fyhn ◽  
Jøran Solli

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the role of a particular energy calculator in enhancing the energy efficiency of existing homes by asking how this calculator was developed and how it is domesticated by craftspeople working as energy consultants.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on qualitative interviews with users and producers of the energy calculator (n= 22), as well as participation in energy consultation training.FindingsThe paper finds that, in the energy calculator, there is a striking lack of connection between the domestication and script because of lack of energy consultants’ involvement in the design and implementation process.Practical implicationsThe enrolment of energy consultants as energy calculator users earlier in and throughout the design process could be valuable in making the transition to an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building sector.Social implicationsThe paper argues for recognition of the role of energy consultants, especially craftspeople, as participants in the design process for tools of governance. This is a call to acknowledge the value of particular skills and experiences possessed by craftspeople doing home consultation.Originality/valueBy understanding the intricate developer–user synchronicity in tools developed for upgrading the building sector, energy mitigation can be made more effective.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shri Ram ◽  
John Paul Anbu K.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to have a closer look at the awareness of referencing utilities among the library professionals in India. In a research environment, referencing and bibliography play an important role in the dissemination of research findings through scholarly writings. Citing references while writing scholarly articles has become more eloquent mainly due to the availability of a range of bibliography management utilities. Currently, there are various types of Bibliography Management Software (BMS) available for the management of the citation, referencing and compiling bibliographies. Librarians have a crucial role to play in helping the faculty, students and research scholars in the process of writing their scholarly articles and theses, especially in the area of referencing. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted through an online survey with an aim to assess the perception, awareness and use of BMS by the Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals in India. Findings – In the academic environment, published results of research findings are crucial for the advancement of knowledge. The published research findings are often supported and disputed using the citation of previous studies. There are a number of supporting technologies that are intended to help in procuring needed citations and streamlining them for better research output. The role of the librarian in this endeavor is undisputed. This study shows that there is a need for strengthening the awareness of BMS at the institutional level and also hands-on experience is needed for library professionals to help in the process of research writing and advocate for adopting correct referencing style (citation style) while writing scholarly articles. Practical implications – The increased use of information and communication technology in the process of scholarly writing, especially in the search and retrieval of relevant articles and the availability of electronic journals and books, have resulted in an increased number of research articles being written by research scholars. The downside to this overflow of scholarly and creative writing is the incorrect way of using referencing style in the dissemination of research and the possibilities of malpractice and plagiarism. This study will help in creating awareness of the utility of citation and BMS in content writing, especially among library and information professionals, as they play an important role in facilitating research. Social implications – This study will be beneficial for the LIS professionals in understanding the effectiveness of their services when complemented by the use of technology-powered tools. Creating awareness of the use of BMS in content development in scholarly communication promises to create a flawless scholarly output as library professionals will help researchers in guiding research writings with correct referencing and citation. Originality/value – Use of BMS helps in the development of content in an organized, methodical and scientific way. The role of library and information professionals working with different researchers and scholars in advocating and practicing the use of BMS will go a long way in creating more streamlined content.


Author(s):  
Jerzy Sowa ◽  
Maciej Mijakowski

A humidity-sensitive demand-controlled ventilation system is known for many years. It has been developed and commonly applied in regions with an oceanic climate. Some attempts were made to introduce this solution in Poland in a much severe continental climate. The article evaluates this system's performance and energy consumption applied in an 8-floor multi-unit residential building, virtual reference building described by the National Energy Conservation Agency NAPE, Poland. The simulations using the computer program CONTAM were performed for the whole hating season for Warsaw's climate. Besides passive stack ventilation that worked as a reference, two versions of humidity-sensitive demand-controlled ventilation were checked. The difference between them lies in applying the additional roof fans that convert the system to hybrid. The study confirmed that the application of demand-controlled ventilation in multi-unit residential buildings in a continental climate with warm summer (Dfb) leads to significant energy savings. However, the efforts to ensure acceptable indoor air quality require hybrid ventilation, which reduces the energy benefits. It is especially visible when primary energy use is analyzed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pintu Shah ◽  
Anuja Agarwal

Purpose For a good number of Indians, their smartphone is their first digital computing device. They have less experience in dealing with the Internet-enabled device and hence less experience in handling security threats like malware as compared to users of other countries who have gone through the learning curve of handling such security threats using other Internet-enabled devices such as laptop and desktop. Because of this, the inexperienced Indian smartphone user may be vulnerable to Internet-related security breaches, as compared to the citizens of developed economies. Hence, it is essential to understand the attitude, behaviour and security practices of smartphone users in India. Limited research is available about the security behaviour of smartphone users in India as the majority of research in this domain is done outside India. Design/methodology/approach In this empirical study, the researchers identified 28 cybersecurity behaviours and practices through a survey of relevant literature. An online survey of identified cybersecurity behaviours and practices was administered to 300 smartphone users. Frequency analysis of the respondent data was done to understand the adoption of recommended cybersecurity behaviours and practices. Pearson’s chi-square with 5% level of significance has been used to test the hypotheses. Post hoc analysis with Bonferroni correction was conducted for statistically significant associations. Findings Overall, the respondents did not exhibit good cybersecurity behaviour. Respondents have adopted some of the most popular security features of the smartphone such as the use of screen lock. However, respondents have not adopted or are not aware of the technical security controls such as encryption and remote wipe. Statistically significant differences were found between the cybersecurity behaviour and practices and independent variables such as gender, age, mobile operating system (OS) and mother tongue. Respondents reported high level of motivation to protect their device and data, whereas they reported moderate level of threat awareness and the ability to protect to their device and data. Results of the comparative analysis with a similar study in China and the USA are also reported in this study. Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this study are as follows: the respondents' perceptions about their cybersecurity behaviours and practices were measured as opposed to their actual behaviours and practices and the generalizability of the study is limited because the sample size is small as compared to the total number of smartphone users in India. Practical implications The findings of this study may be useful for the design of effective cybersecurity prevention and intervention programs for general smartphone users of India. Originality/value This study provides an insight about cybersecurity behaviour of smartphone users in India. To the knowledge of the researchers, this is the first study to collect such quantitative data of smartphone users in India for a better understanding of the cybersecurity behaviours and practices. This study identified 28 cybersecurity behaviours and practices, which smartphone users should follow to improve cybersecurity.


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