Interfakultäre Koordinationsstelle für Allgemeine Ökologie (IKAÖ) |
Forschung
English Abstract
Which factors play a role in the spread of energy-efficient technologies in the building sector? How can the behavioral choices of the parties concerned be influenced? This project will provide important answers to these questions.
Background Sustainability requires a reduction in energy consumption in industrialized countries. The vision of a dramatic reduction in energy demand can only be reached if the technical know-how available today and in the future is actually put into practice. The building industry is an important sector in improving energy efficiency overall.
Objectives The project aims to analyze and accelerate organizational adaptation processes that foster the spread of pioneering energy-efficient technologies in the building sector.
- What factors and processes contribute to the spread of energ-yefficient building technologies?
- What elements of the various players strategies ensure sucess in capturing the benefits of energy-efficient building technologies? (Benefits such as increased market-shares or higher levels of comfort.)
- How could policy influence the behaviour of decision-makers in the field of building?
A simulation model will be developed that synthesizes psychological, managerial and economic theories as well as the results of empirical investigations about behavioral choices.
Methods 3 or 4 selected, recently constructed reference buildings will differ in terms of their energy efficiency standards: from pioneering buildings meeting Minergie-P standards to traditional buildings fulfilling only the minimum legal energy efficiency norms. Thos e involved in the recent construction of these reference buildings will then be chosen to form an expert group with regional energy consultants and representatives of the authorities. Workshops with this expert group will contribute to the model-building process, which will consist of a step-by-step procedure involving phases of literature review, empirical data collection and model conceptualization.
Significance A transformation support tool for energy-efficient buildings will be elaborated on the basis of insights from policy analysis and scenario experiments. This product will provide private and public decision-makers in the building sector with collaboration strategies and management instruments for long-term development.