Assessment regarding the impact of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) on the residential market is largely inconclusive; while the majority of hedonic analyses have found EPC ratings to be correlated with prices, opinion-based research has found a negligible impact on prices and other marketing variables. Using the opinion of qualified real estate agents, this paper explores whether, in Spain, EPC labels play any role in housing marketing, as well as the policy changes required to foster efficient dwellings. The results reveal a large misunderstanding of the EPC labels, since they are seen as a global home-quality indicator, while their impact on residential marketing is quite poor. Apparently, both supply and demand place a small interest in energy performance, although it is slightly larger for sellers/buyers in relation to lenders/tenants. In any case, EPC labels are far from blurring the energy information asymmetry, since most of the buyers/tenants are informed of the EPC rating after having selected their home. Overall, the EPC scheme has a poor reputation exacerbated by inaccuracies, unintelligible units to express the financial and environmental implications of energy efficiency, and an apparent weak supervision. These findings stress the need to improve the scheme; in doing so, realtors suggest the need for some companion policies.
Legislative initiatives regarding universal accessibility promote the elimination of architectural barriers. This is a positive measure as it aims to ensure equal rights and opportunities for disabled people, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006). One of the challenges facing society today is the determination of reasonable accommodation, a concept that encompasses those necessary modifications and adjustments which do not impose a disproportionate burden. For this purpose, technical, economic and social aspects shall be taken into consideration, as required by legislation. This paper proposes reasonable accommodation in residential buildings, taking into account the different options for its attainment, by applying a multi-criteria analysis based on a wide range of objective indicators of three types: technical, social and economic. This proposal was one of the objectives of the R + D + i Project called “VIVable-From accessible housing to sustainable housing: The essence of reasonable accommodation”. From VIVable, the fuzzy multi-criteria assessment method for determining reasonable accommodation may be totally extrapolated to other uses. At the same time, the proposed method may also be extrapolated to other countries where basic requirements for universal accessibility in buildings and equal rights of persons with disabilities are standardized.
The diagnosis of Heritage Environments accessibility has not been traditionally present in the processes of intervention in them. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology to make a suitable diagnosis of accessibility to their singular conditions. The comparison method proposed is based on achieving a balance between the needs of disabled persons in the use of the physical environment, and functional conditions and social action in Heritage Environments.The methodology is based on three previous assumptions: 1st) Taking into account the needs of environmental use by all groups of people with disabilities. 2nd) The roof of comparison is based on the parameters covered by Spanish standards of accessibility recommendations. 3rd) The qualification and quantification of the parameters of comparison should take into account the architectural and urban spaces specific to diagnose.It develops in two phases: Phase 1. Data collection of the reality of routes, spaces and elements that an environmentally sensitive heritage. Phase 2. Treatment of the data collected in the real estate environment that is developed in two areas: implementation of the software to the evaluation tables; results of the comparison of data of reality with the weighted basic accessibility requirements.The results indicate that universal access can also be integrated in the process of intervention at the Heritage Environments. For this it is imperative that the diagnostic method used conforms to the basic accessibility requirements, requirements that must be based on the balance between the unique architectural conditions Environments Heritage and the basic needs of all groups of People with Disabilities. ACE 13The main conclusions of the study are:-For the consideration of accessibility can be included in the intervention process in Heritage Environments from the beginning is necessary to adapt the basic requirements for accessibility to diagnostic method to use.-The diagnostic method accessibility of Heritage Environments proposed in this study is based upon the comparison made between the reality of these and the requirements derived from the Spanish rules of accessibility recommendations.-The data collection serves a three-tier system: data structure; type of elements; and their characteristics.-The processing of data in response to the use of specific weights of the characteristics of each item and, this, for each type of disability: mobility, vision and hearing. The proposed accessibility levels are three: Facilitator, Facilitator not comfortable; Obstacle.41 ACE © AÑO V, núm.13, JUNIO 2010 |
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