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Agency and capacity in the planning and design phase of building renovations

Reindl, Katharina LU (2020) In Energy Efficiency
Abstract
The building sector is a large energy consumer and is responsible for high CO2 emissions; hence, improving the energy performance of buildings is vital. Building renovations open opportunities to improve their energy performance.

Building professionals and other actors in the early phase of renovations decide what energy efficiency and saving measures will be implemented. Their role is studied here from a middle-out perspective (MOP), investigating the different actors’ agency and capacity. Agency refers here to an interest in and a willingness to implement energy efficiency and saving measures, and capacity refers to the ability to implement such measures. Higher agency and capacity are said to increase the realisation of the... (More)
The building sector is a large energy consumer and is responsible for high CO2 emissions; hence, improving the energy performance of buildings is vital. Building renovations open opportunities to improve their energy performance.

Building professionals and other actors in the early phase of renovations decide what energy efficiency and saving measures will be implemented. Their role is studied here from a middle-out perspective (MOP), investigating the different actors’ agency and capacity. Agency refers here to an interest in and a willingness to implement energy efficiency and saving measures, and capacity refers to the ability to implement such measures. Higher agency and capacity are said to increase the realisation of the planned energy efficiency and saving measures.

The data was gathered during three planning and design phases of renovation projects of a municipal housing company in a middle-sized Swedish town. A case study was conducted which is based on semi-structured interviews with actors from the planning and design phase of the renovations, as well as participant observations and a document analysis.

The levels of agency and capacity of professionals in the middle of a project’s planning and design phase are investigated thoroughly, but the here defined top and bottom levels are also in focus. The analysis shows that a mismatch in agency and capacity on the different levels hindered the uptake of energy efficiency and saving measures in the planning and design of the renovation projects. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Building renovation, Energy efficiency, Energy use reduction, Planning and design phase, Middle-out perspective, Agency, Capacity
in
Energy Efficiency
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85088857107
ISSN
1570-646X
DOI
10.1007/s12053-020-09885-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6f771bb6-5114-439e-863a-6e1f02bc4629
date added to LUP
2020-08-03 13:32:52
date last changed
2022-04-19 00:02:36
@article{6f771bb6-5114-439e-863a-6e1f02bc4629,
  abstract     = {{The building sector is a large energy consumer and is responsible for high CO2 emissions; hence, improving the energy performance of buildings is vital. Building renovations open opportunities to improve their energy performance.<br/><br/>Building professionals and other actors in the early phase of renovations decide what energy efficiency and saving measures will be implemented. Their role is studied here from a middle-out perspective (MOP), investigating the different actors’ agency and capacity. Agency refers here to an interest in and a willingness to implement energy efficiency and saving measures, and capacity refers to the ability to implement such measures. Higher agency and capacity are said to increase the realisation of the planned energy efficiency and saving measures.<br/><br/>The data was gathered during three planning and design phases of renovation projects of a municipal housing company in a middle-sized Swedish town. A case study was conducted which is based on semi-structured interviews with actors from the planning and design phase of the renovations, as well as participant observations and a document analysis.<br/><br/>The levels of agency and capacity of professionals in the middle of a project’s planning and design phase are investigated thoroughly, but the here defined top and bottom levels are also in focus. The analysis shows that a mismatch in agency and capacity on the different levels hindered the uptake of energy efficiency and saving measures in the planning and design of the renovation projects.}},
  author       = {{Reindl, Katharina}},
  issn         = {{1570-646X}},
  keywords     = {{Building renovation; Energy efficiency; Energy use reduction; Planning and design phase; Middle-out perspective; Agency; Capacity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Energy Efficiency}},
  title        = {{Agency and capacity in the planning and design phase of building renovations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12053-020-09885-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s12053-020-09885-1}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}