\u201cThese demonstration projects are showing that zero net energy housing is achievable and affordable once we get economies of scale,\u201d says Eon.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cOnce high-performance products like double glazing are supplied in volume to mainstream builders, costs will come down.<\/p>\n
\u201cProjects like this are working to raise awareness in both the market and the construction industry, because the demand is growing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Policy and regulatory improvements are also needed to transition to net zero homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAuditing buildings for energy efficiency is haphazard, and the rating system also causes confusion. Although there\u2019s a system that rates houses for energy efficiency, there are other systems with different performance measures that vary between states.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we could create a consistent rating system for houses, so that builders can promote and market their high star-rated, energy-efficient houses like white goods manufacturers do, we may encourage a shift in the construction sector as house buyers make more considered choices.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Eon says that buyer behaviour is still a barrier to the zero net energy goal for residential housing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s well known that even when you live in a high-performance house, it often underperforms in practice, so a lot of my research has been focused on why this happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
She has recently tracked the lifestyles and behaviours of ten families living in a range of energy-efficient houses for two years, to see how the houses really performed. One common observation was a \u2018rebound effect\u2019 \u2013 if people expect that their house is going to function intrinsically well, they don\u2019t try particularly hard to conserve resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve got solar panels on your roof, you worry less about how you\u2019re using electricity, because it\u2019s \u2018free\u2019,\u201d explains Eon.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cBut that only works if you\u2019re using it on sunny days, not at night or in the rain unless you\u2019ve also got an energy storage system.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t get an instruction manual when you buy a house, so the way you run it develops around your everyday routines and habits. Energy use tends to be shaped by routines established around children, work and leisure time, and efficiency is a secondary consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eon\u2019s study provided insights into the connections between energy-efficient technologies and people\u2019s everyday behaviour, and is now guiding approaches to better enable energy efficiency in the home. For example, automation can allow energy use to be flexibly disconnected from lifestyle routines; simply incorporating timers into appliances so they can be run when the sun is shining \u2013 from pool pumps and air conditioners to washing machines and dishwashers \u2013 can have a significant impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelping people understand how their houses really work doesn\u2019t create behavioural change, as lifestyle factors drive most decision making. But by understanding people\u2019s everyday practices, we can adapt existing technologies to their routines to improve their energy efficiency without them having to make significant changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Getting residential housing to net zero emissions by 2050 is possible. Consumers want energy efficient housing, and it doesn\u2019t have to cost much more. But it always comes down to the choices we make. Eon\u2019s research is trying to make those choices, from the house we buy to the appliances we use, as easy as possible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We check the \u2018star ratings\u2019 and reviews before we buy dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators. Yet it remains a challenge to build and run an eco-friendly, energy-efficient home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4182,"featured_media":7826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_research-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,82],"tags":[],"research-areas":[],"class_list":["post-7825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","category-society-and-culture"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"People\u2013Planet\u2013Technology","content":"
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