Size matters: House size and thermal efficiency as policy strategies to reduce net emissions of new developments

Clune, Stephen; Morrissey, John; Moore, Trivess

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.05.072

Cited by 44 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…Addressing peak demand and related electricity prices rises effectively involves moving away from segregating land uses towards mixed-uses, thus improving network utilisation. In terms of addressing consumption, some also point to the value of urban consolidation-a form of rationing-which involves reducing dwelling and lot size (Clune et al 2012). Urban consolidation and densification appears to be a logical response and offers benefits in terms of using existing infrastructure more efficiently.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The challenge of adapting centralised electricity systems: peak demand and maladaptation in South East Queensland, Australia

et al. 2013

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South East Queensland's (SEQ's) centralised electricity system is under great pressure to adapt. Climate change is converging with socio-economic, demographic and technological changes to create a 'perfect storm' for the region's electricity system. Distribution networks are particularly affected, with these factors contributing to tremendous peak demand growth, about double the rate of growth in average demand in recent years. This paper reviews how Australia's electricity system is adapting to multiple drivers of peak electricity demand. We use sociotechnical transitions theory to understand the temporal interconnected social and technical dimensions of adaptation in this setting. Specifically, we present an historical narrative of the emergence of centralisation in Australia and outline the peak demand problem in SEQ and review adaptation options from the international literature. We also analyse the interactions between key social groups and their adaptation responses over the past decade. Our analysis shows that adaptation has become a contested process between supply-chain actors and end-users, each with different economic objectives, adaptation needs and capacities. The resulting adaptation dynamic that is emerging shows worrying signs of maladaptation. Implications for market governance and urban policy and research are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The challenge of adapting centralised electricity systems: peak demand and maladaptation in South East Queensland, Australia

et al. 2013

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“…Regulators and government bodies have the potential to instigate larger changes, through top-down enforcement of standards and/or offering of incentives (Loosemore, 2014). Clune (2012) highlighted the difficulty in imposing top-down changes on construction firms, particularly when long-term policies clash with immediate priorities like housing production costs. Changes introduced at any level thus rely on grassroots industry support to ensure their success.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the beliefs of Australian prefabricated house builders

Steinhardt

Manley

2016

CEB

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The housing sector accounts for a majority of newly constructed buildings. Prefabrication, defined as the factory construction of houses or significant components, is widely promoted as a means to improve efficiency. This paper focuses on the research questions: RQ1. What are the attitudes of builders towards prefabrication adoption? RQ2. What types of stakeholders do builders believe influence their adoption decisions? RQ3. What types of contextual influences do builders believe impact their adoption decisions? Current prefabrication research has focused on the advantages and disadvantages of prefabrication, without further unpacking the beliefs of stakeholders that underpin them. This paper addresses this gap and increases the understanding of beliefs that can frame interventions to increase the market penetration of prefabrication. Fourteen interviews with Australian prefabricators were undertaken as a Belief Elicitation Study. This qualitative methodology is framed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Results show that modern high-quality prefabricated housing has struggled to overcome historical stigma; improved construction speed has not and is not likely to translate to reduced totals costs for a majority of firms; and prefabrication adoption has been hindered by an almost completely unsupportive industry infrastructure. Recommendations are made to frame arguments in improving short-term outcomes for an industry driven by practical considerations. Future discourse must focus on cost impacts, financial security and risk reduction. Establishing networks of prefabricators that can build a strong, unified voice for the industry should be prioritised.

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“…This is probably unsurprising because architects, builders, financial institutions, real estate agents, municipal authorities, and many others have endeavoured individually and in concert to set the market conditions for home provisioning, to shape the dwelling preferences of residents, and to push back vigorously on critical appraisals that challenge business as usual. These "big house" advocates consistently argue that improvements in thermal efficiency and various green-building techniques compensate for the upsizing of newly constructed houses but careful research has refuted the efficacy of these enhancements (Wilson and Boehland 2005;Clune, Morrissey, and Moore 2012;Moore, Clune, and Morrissey 2013;Stephan and Crawford 2016;Viggers et al 2017;Huebner and Shipworth 2017). 1 The important insight is that size matters and if policymakers are serious about sufficiencyespecially with respect to meeting climate targets and commitments embodied by the SDGsit is imperative to devote serious consideration to shrinking floor area.…”

Section: Sufficiency From the Perspective Of Housingmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Conceptions of Sufficient Home Size in High-Income Countries: Are We Approaching a Sustainable Consumption Transition?

Cohen

2020

Housing, Theory and Society

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Housing plays a significant role in impelling demand for natural resources and driving economic growth in high-income countries. Public policies, commercial prerogatives, and other inducements have encouraged construction and occupancy of ever-larger homes and this pattern has persisted in the face of decreasing household size, declining fertility, ageing populations, and increasing complexity of domestic relationships. This situation has created a perverse mismatch between available housing stocks and residential requirements. Additionally, imperatives to curtail greenhouse-gas emissions and to hasten progress on the United Nations 2030 Agenda demand new planning priorities. Building on the sufficiency turn in the field of sustainable consumption, this paper first formulates parameters for estimating an environmentally tenable and globally equitable amount of per person living area. It then highlights five emblematic cases of "space-efficient" housing. While acknowledging that prevalent spatial norms are evolving, the conclusion discusses the profound challenges of achieving a successful sustainable consumption transition.

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Size matters: House size and thermal efficiency as policy strategies to reduce net emissions of new developments

Cited by 44 publications

References 45 publications

The challenge of adapting centralised electricity systems: peak demand and maladaptation in South East Queensland, Australia

The challenge of adapting centralised electricity systems: peak demand and maladaptation in South East Queensland, Australia

Exploring the beliefs of Australian prefabricated house builders

New Conceptions of Sufficient Home Size in High-Income Countries: Are We Approaching a Sustainable Consumption Transition?

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