Near zero energy homes – What do users think?

How many interviews are enough? Do qualitative interviews in building energy consumption research produce reliable knowledge?

“…For example, in [37] the population was fuel-poor households in Vienna, Austria and a sample of 50 such households was interviewed. In [36] the population was households in near-zero-energy homes, and a sample of 25 was interviewed after a technical analysis of their dwellings and consumption. If the interviewees are not a random sample, the reliability of the claimed findings becomes weaker.…”

“…Examples of this kind of research are found in the main journals which deal with technical aspects of energy in buildings, including Building and Environment [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8], Energy and Buildings [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], Energy Efficiency [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33], Energy Policy [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45], Sustainable Cities and Society [46][47][48][49] and Building Research and Information [50]…”

Zero energy homes – Are they economically viable?

“…These higher solar contribution systems are readily available in the Australian market, and the associated economic benefits identified in this study suggest an immediate change would provide both substantial economic and carbon emission benefits. Separate evidence from householder experiences at Lochiel Park suggests that any proposed change to the water heater standard may benefit from a parallel industry education and training programme to ensure improved installation and commissioning processes (Berry et al, 2014c).…”

“…The energy used and electricity generated at each home is monitored and analysed to extend our understanding of what happens when households bring their energy habits to near zero energy homes (Berry et al, 2014b). Appliance audits and householder interviews have also been conducted to extend our knowledge of the energy service expectations of contemporary digital-age lifestyles (Berry et al, 2014c). The following lists some of the key energy system per- High energy star rated (energy efficient) appliances.…”

Does Tenure Matter for Occupant Experiences of Low-Energy Housing?

“…Whilst there has been a large body of research demonstrating the energy and environmental benefits of exemplar low-energy houses from a technical perspective [18,[21][22][23], more recently researchers have started exploring how occupants use and experience such dwellings [24][25][26]. There has also been a stream of research exploring challenges with increasing uptake of sustainability strategies across the housing sector from the perspective of the building owner and/or occupants.…”