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Low energy housing transition in the UK – the role of intermediaries in innovation processes Dr Mari Martiskainen and Dr Paula KivimaaCentre on Innovation and Energy Demand, University of SussexEnergy Cultures Conference, 6-7th July, Wellington
Structure of talk
• Brief intro to Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand
• Context of research: the UK’s housing sector
• Innovation intermediaries
• Intermediaries in low energy housing
• Empirical case research
• Initial findings
Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED)• Based at SPRU, University of
Sussex, UK (www.cied.ac.uk)• A socio-technical, whole systems,
approach to energy demand• Emergence, diffusion and impact
of radical low energy innovations• Funded by RCUK (2013-2018)• Sussex, Manchester, Oxford
Context of research: the UK’s housing sector• The quality of UK’s existing housing stock one of the worst in Europe• Slow turnover of new buildings
• Around 2/3 of existing 27 million homes will still be in use in 2050
• Multiple companies involved in the sector• Many SMEs, culture of subcontracting, uncoordinated sector, gap in skills and training
• Conservative building trade• Reluctance to change from traditional building methods
and renovation processes
• Energy efficiency improvements especially suffer from: • Often high upfront costs• Limited market demand – the ‘hassle factor’• Political and financing constraints
The UK’s housing sector cont.
• The UK housing sector has a history of incremental innovation
• Complicated policy mix and recent policy cancellations
• E.g. 38 instruments addressing energy efficiency in buildings
• Achievement of ambitious targets requires, systemic & architectural innovation
• Integration of multiple technologies
• Integrated design
• Collaboration between actors
• Use of practice-based knowledge
Role for intermediation?
Innovation intermediaries• Facilitators of innovation processes that are
neither the inventors nor the customers • Intermediaries have been defined as:
“actors who create spaces and opportunities for appropriation and generation of emerging technical or cultural products by others who might be described as developers and users” (Stewart & Hyysalo, 2008)
• Often hybrid and boundary crossing, may seek for neutrality
• Not only who they are but also what they do to drive innovation
Intermediaries in low energy housing• Previous research has identified a range of potential actors that
could act as intermediaries in the building sector
• E.g. architects, building managers, regulators, energy service companies, building innovation platforms, foundations, religious congregations, building professionals and commercial building communities
• In the UK, we have identified for example the following:
• Government organisations, local authorities, member/trade organisations, business organisations, housing associations, academics, environmental/energy charities and building specific charities
Empirical case research• Brighton ‘hotspot’ chosen as a context of case studies
• Green ‘milieu’ – protective space for low energy housing?
• Eco Open Houses event – showcases sustainable houses
• Cases of new built homes and whole house retrofits
• Document and literature analysis
• Semi-structured interviews with key actors
• Case histories tracing innovation process and the
role of intermediation
One Brighton case
• Low energy housing development by Bioregional, Crest Nicholson and Quantain
• Built as part of a larger regeneration site in central Brighton during 2007-2010
• 172 flats, of which 54 affordable homes• Objective to develop a cost-effective
development based on ‘One Planet Living’ principles
• Highly energy efficient, solar PVs and biomass boiler, car-free, rooftop allotments, community space
Intermediation in the One Brighton case
Project phase Actor/organisation Process Empirical evidence
Planning Sustainability consultant Stakeholder engagement and community development
• Chance encounter with a local council worker leads sustainability consultant to facilitate community engagement for One Brighton development
• Organising and facilitating meetings with community groups, taking on board suggestions and feedback
• Exhibiting One Brighton plans in key locations• Bringing in Bioregional as a developer, previous expertise in sustainable housing
Main developer Bioregional Developing One Brighton as first One Planet Living development
• Adapting learning from previous BedZED development on technology and lifestyle approach• Sourcing funding and key partners• Coordinating planning process• Integrating and licensing One Planet Living concept• Employing a Sustainability Integrator for the build process
Construction Main developer Bioregional &Sustainability Integrator
Ensuring sustainability criteria is met at all stages
• Coordinating all project partners• Sustainability Integrator checking all construction stages• Creating One Brighton Energy Service Company
Sustainability consultant, maintenance company
Promoting One Brighton to community groups and construction industry
• Creating community space ‘Brighton Junction’ and finding tenants• Helping with resources, e.g. funding for biomass boiler• Promoting One Brighton as a different from norm to construction industry
Post-construction Main developer Bioregional Post-occupancy evaluation • Collecting energy data• Addressing problems with biomass boiler• Showcasing One Brighton through visits, events and research• Planning other projects for replication
Embedding/upscaling Local authority Showcasing Brighton as a sustainableconstruction hub
• Using One Brighton as case in Eco Open Houses event• Using One Brighton as example to other developers of what can be achieved• Providing a protective space for subsequent building projects
Initial findings• Intermediary roles can change during the course of the project
• E.g. the role of the Sustainability Consultant in One Brighton case
• Boundaries of intermediation can be fluid, hence also drawing on the concept of an ‘innovation champion’ and how that relates to intermediation
• Intermediation by different actors at different stages of innovation process
• E.g. planning, construction, post-construction and embedding
• Changes in regimes influence the process of intermediation• E.g. the influence of the 2008 financial crash on the UK housing market
• E.g. policy changes such as removal of zero carbon homes requirement
• Systemic innovation requires effective intermediation• How to measure which intermediaries are effective?
• Intermediaries also benefit from practical experience and related learning
Thank you!
Contact:[email protected]
@martiskainen
www.cied.ac.uk www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexenergygroup/
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/