German regulations for the thermal renovation of existing homes demand high thermal standards, which the government claims are technically and economically feasible. This paper examines existing data on 3400 German homes; their calculated energy performance ratings (EPR) are then plotted against the actual measured consumption. The results indicate that occupants consume, on average, 30% less heating energy than the calculated rating. This phenomenon is identified as the ‘prebound’ effect and increases with the calculated rating. The opposite phenomenon, the rebound effect, tends to occur for low-energy dwellings, where occupants consume more than the rating. A similar phenomenon has been recognized in recent Dutch, Belgian, French and UK studies, suggesting policy implications in two directions. Firstly, using a dwelling's energy rating to predict fuel and CO₂ savings through retrofits tends to overestimate savings, underestimate the payback time and possibly discourage cost-effective, incremental improvements. Secondly, the potential fuel and CO₂ savings through non-technical measures such as occupant behaviour may well be far larger than is generally assumed in policies so policy-makers need a better understanding of what drives or inhibits occupants' decisions. La réglementation allemande relative à la rénovation thermique des logements existants exige des normes thermiques élevées, que le gouvernement prétend être techniquement et économiquement applicables. Cet article examine les données existantes sur 3400 logements allemands; leurs classes d'efficacité énergétique (CEE) calculées sont ensuite comparées à la consommation réelle mesurée. Les résultats indiquent que les occupants consomment, en moyenne, 30 % d'énergie de chauffage en moins que la classe calculée. Ce phénomène est identifié en raison de l'accroissement de l'effet de « pré-bond » avec la classe calculée. Le phénomène opposé, l'effet de rebond, tend à se produire dans les logements à basse consommation d'énergie, dans lesquels les occupants ont une consommation supérieure à la classe. Un phénomène similaire a été reconnu dans des études récentes néerlandaises, belges, françaises et britanniques, suggérant des implications en termes de politiques dans deux directions. En premier lieu, l'utilisation de la classe énergétique d'un logement pour prévoir les économies de combustible et de CO₂ pouvant être obtenues grâce à des rénovations a tendance à surestimer les économies, à sous-estimer le délai d'amortissement et éventuellement à dissuader d'effectuer des améliorations incrémentielles rentables. En second lieu, les économies potentielles de combustible et de CO₂ pouvant être obtenues par des mesures non techniques telles que le comportement des occupants peuvent se révéler être bien plus importantes que cela n'est supposé en règle générale dans les politiques, de sorte que les décideurs ont besoin de mieux comprendre ce qui motive ou empêche les décisions des occupants. Mots clés: performance des bâtiments, rénovations thermiques, politique climatique, classe énergétique, politique énergétique, comportement de consommation énergétique

Greater potential energy savings can be achieved in the large stock of existing dwellings than in the relatively small proportion of newly built dwellings. Although the energy performance of existing dwellings is much poorer than new dwellings, the stock of existing dwellings is very large in a ‘mature’ built environment of most developed countries. In the past decade, awareness of the potential energy savings has spread widely among the many stakeholders involved. Nonetheless, most regulations and instruments are still aimed at achieving sustainable newly built construction. An evidenced-based overview of the current state of the residential building stock is provided for eight northern European countries along with current renovation data. Comparisons are made on the characteristics, physical quality and developments of the residential building stock. Existing policies and incentives to reduce energy use and CO₂ emissions are analysed for their impacts on the existing building stock as well as the barriers preventing successful sustainable renovation. Common denominators in the current state of renovation of residential building stock are used to identify possible future instruments and incentives that are needed to overcome current barriers. C'est dans le parc important des logements existants plutôt que dans le pourcentage relativement faible des logements de construction récente qu'il y a le plus de possibilités de réaliser des économies d'énergie. Bien que la performance énergétique des logements existants soit bien moindre que celle des logements neufs, le parc des logements existants est très important dans un cadre bâti parvenu « à maturité », tel que celui de la plupart des pays développés. Dans la dernière décennie, la sensibilisation aux économies d'énergie pouvant être réalisées s'est largement répandue parmi les nombreuses parties prenantes impliquées. Néanmoins, la plupart des réglementations et des textes réglementaires visent encore à obtenir une durabilité dans des constructions neuves. Un panorama, fondé sur des données probantes, de l'état actuel du parc bâti résidentiel est fourni pour huit pays d'Europe du Nord, accompagné des données actuelles en matière de rénovation. Des comparaisons sont faites concernant les caractéristiques, la qualité physique et les évolutions du parc bâti résidentiel. Les politiques existantes et les mesures incitatives destinées à réduire l'utilisation d'énergie et les émissions de CO₂ sont analysées quant à leurs effets sur le parc bâti existant, ainsi que les obstacles qui empêchent de réussir une rénovation durable. Les dénominateurs communs propres à la situation actuelle en matière de rénovation du parc bâti résidentiel sont utilisés afin d'identifier les futurs textes réglementaires et les futures incitations possibles qui sont nécessaires pour surmonter les obstacles actuels. Mots clés: qualité des bâtiments, parc bâti, performance énergétique, politique énergétique, économies d'énergie, politique du logement, rénovation, durabilité, qualité thermique

Currently, the majority of the European housing stock falls towards the bottom of the energy efficiency rating scale on the EU Energy Performance Certificate. If governments and businesses are to successfully address ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, then it will be imperative that energy-efficient measures and policies focus on existing housing. In order to understand what kind of retrofit is needed to achieve an “A” energy performance rating in social housing, the paper reports the findings of an on-going research project in the UK. The paper draws on a case study from the Technology Strategy Board's “Retrofit for the Future” competition entry in Cambridge. The upgrade strategy improved the home's energy performance rating to A, aimed to radically reduce carbon dioxide emissions (17 kg m⁻² year⁻¹) and provided affordable warmth for the tenants. In order to get an impression of the actual energy consumption in the case study, energy use behaviour of the household was observed. Based on the barriers identified in the case study, the feasibility of the current UK policy strategies (e.g. Smart Meters and Feed-in-Tariffs) to facilitate the acceptance of energy measures in social housing is discussed.

The interaction of energy and buildings institutes a complex socio-technical system that influences the eudemonic well-being of the occupants. Understanding these drivers become even more necessary in impoverished areas where occupants struggle to avail essential energy services. The literature indicates that energy injustice can be addressed through provisioning of comfort, cleanliness, and convenience (3Cs) as critical cultural energy services in low-income areas. This study investigates the socio-architectural influence for slum rehabilitation housing (SRH) on cultural energy services that can promote distributive justice. The methodology adopts an empirical route using data from 200 household surveys from SRH in Mumbai, India, and João Pessoa, Brazil. A model between the 3Cs and socio-architectural elements was established using Firth’s binary logistic regression. The survey results showed that the SRH in Brazil had twice the appliance ownership as compared to the Mumbai SRH. There were distinct energy service preferences in the study areas, despite common poverty burdens. The empirical results showed that the lack of socio-architectural design elements like open spaces, privacy, and walkability in the study areas demanded specific comfort and convenience appliances as a counter-response. A critical policy implication drawn was on the need for socio-architectural inclusive energy planning for distributive justice in poverty. Mitigating rising energy demand through appropriate built environment design of slum rehabilitation housing can contribute to fulfilling the UN’s SDG 7 (clean and affordable energy) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities) goals.

This paper explores why domestic energy policies, thermal retrofitting and the operation of domestic energy-efficient technologies are often met with social inertia in practice. Two sets of interview data – UK homeowners who have retrofitted their property and social housing tenants living in energy-efficient housing – reveal a very different mix of habits, skills and attitudes regarding domestic heating, rooted in socio-economic background and further determined by tenure. Middle-class homeowners’ retrofit design were part of their social and economic capital and self-expression of taste. These aspirational retrofits were characterized by comfort, conspicuous consumption and do-it-yourself (DIY) activities. Policy should strengthen these ‘paths of least resistance’ by providing resources to harness the taste-motivated retrofit stream. In contrast, the less-privileged tenant group struggled with the basic interaction with new technologies imposed on them and need more tailor-made paths: simpler heating controls; a simpler manual for some; and practical measures such as burglar-proof natural ventilation. The paper explores how social stratification and status-led consumption can be brought into understandings of energy retrofitting practices. Reflecting on gender in such contexts could also help to overcome exclusion practices and stereotyping, and there are market opportunities for retrofit packages to engage women and harness their emerging interest in DIY.

In response to pressures imposed on the energy sector, several countries in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region have committed to increasing the percentage of renewable energy to reach 15–50% of the energy supply by 2030. New governance models are required to conceptualise and guide the energy transition into a more sustainable direction. Therefore, this paper employed the transition management governance framework to answer the questions of who is governing the renewable energy transition in Palestine, and in what ways it is achieved. The analysis is based on three levels: strategic (problem structuring and envisioning), tactical (coalition building, developing transition agenda), and operational (mobilising actors and implementing experiments). Accordingly, key energy-related institutions are examined in terms of their visions, capacities and scope of influence using semi-structured interviews, roundtable discussions, and a survey. The conducted policy analysis suggests that the Palestinian energy sector started experiencing profound changes that affected all actors who had to adapt or transform to remain active, in addition to the rise of various multi-level actors. The analysis also shows that actors are more connected compared to the conventional energy system. Findings suggest that the spread of renewable technologies was not the outcome of only top–down schemes; instead, it is achieved throughout the collaboration of multi-level institutions and increasing reliance on horizontal-based governance networks. The paper uses examples to imply that it is possible to overcome the agglomeration of restrictions imposed on the Palestinian energy sector due to conflict if established regimes support governance networks and local-level initiatives.