Consumer inertia to energy saving

Ole Michael JensenDanish Building Research Institute

eceee Summer Study 2005 -Mandelieu, France omj@sbi.dk

Energy labelling

Energy consultancy

A gab !

Owner occupants

House owners

Energy saving potentials

Energy saving conscious-ness

What saving potentials ?What kind of inertia ?

What saving potentials ?What kind of inertia ?

Heat consumptionDetached houses (2003 energy labelling schemes)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

kW

h

Danish Building Code 1995

-

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

1900-1909

1910-1919

1920-1929

1930-1939

1940-1949

1950-1959

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

2000-

kWh

pr.

m2

Small houses Medium-sized houses Large houses

Heat consumption The average heat consumption in Danish semidetached houses

- distributed over the decades of building (hot water included)

Danish Building Code 1995

Heat consumption Detached houses built in the 1920s, 1960s and 1990s

1920-1929

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

0 70 140 210 280 350 420 490 560

1960-1969

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

0 70 140 210 280 350 420 490 560

KWh per m2

1990-1999

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

0 75 150 225 300 375 450 525 600

KWh per m2KWh per m2

Heat consumption Actual heat consumption in Danish blocks of flats

- distributed over the decades of building

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

<1900 1900-1910

1910-1920

1920-1930

1930-1940

1940-1950

1950-1960

1960-1970

1970-1980

1980-1990

1990-2000

>1997

kW

h p

r. m

2

Space heating Hot water

Danish Building Code 1995

What saving potentials ?What kind of inertia ?

The barrier model

Research and development

Demonstration Dissemination Human barriers

Energy saving contribution

Human barriers

Lack of interest

Lack of knowledge

Lack of solutions

Lack of action

Human barriers

Lack of interest

Lack of knowledge

Lack of solutions disinclination

Disinclination‘Poor excuses’

• ”We know, we know very well, but first of all we must finish the kitchen. The old one was beneath standard - and indeed, also the bathroom is ..

• ”We don’t let in workmen - they are too expensive and their work too slovenly made. Half of the workmanship must be redone afterwards”

• ”It’s OK, but there is only one problem: It will be charmless, ungraceful or even ugly”

• ”Well, as soon at we have time. You know, we have to do it ourselves. Maybe in a year or two”.

• ”We have already done a lot. For instance, we changed the windows - with nice bars”

• ”It will come one day, when we are going to convert the first floor anyway”

Lifestyle 1

Lifestyle 2

Lifestyle 3

Lifestyle 4

Aesthetics

Fear of workmen

Need of time

Need of money

DisinclinationIn

com

e /

leve

l of

edu

catio

n

Lifestyle 1

Inco

me

/ le

vel o

f e

duca

tion

Lifestyle 2

Lifestyle 3

Lifestyle 4

Aesthetics

Fear of workmen

Need of time

Need of money

‘What really happens’

A new kitchen

A new bathroom

New windows

A new roofing

Insulation at the loft

Insulation of the cavity wall

A new kitchen

A new bathroom

New windows

A new roofing

Insulation at the loft

Insulation of the cavity wall

Main findings

• Money is important, but what money can make visible is more important

• If energy saving measures can serve two purposes, they have a bigger change

• A well-documented payback, may carry through almost any energy saving measure

• Aesthetic or symbolic benefit within reach, gives the question of money low priority

• Wealthy house owners lean toward aesthetic and symbolic values

• Poor house owners lean toward money

The inertia model

Obtaining of symbolic capital

FINISHImplementation

of means

STARTEnergy saving

means

Inertia

Loss of symbolic capital

Conclusion

• Energy saving measures that supports conspicuous consumption will succeed

eceee Summer Study 2005 -Mandelieu, France omj@sbi.dk

Thank you for your attention