The datasets in HEED represent ‘in action’ data, i.e. the product (and by-product) of a range of disparate activities that are centred on home energy efficiency. Its continual collection over the past 15 years has created a large population level database, detailing and tracking a large amount of retrofit activity in the housing stock. Linked to data on energy demand practices, these population level databases offer a rich resource from which to draw together evidence on energy performance, the uptake of energy efficiency measures along with changes in energy demand associated with such measures. In using this resource there are important issues that need to be explored to determine whether databases from a wide number of suppliers can be used to elucidate trends and relationships for dwelling energy demand and energy efficiency. It is also necessary to consider how a resource of this type will contribute to the on-going development of national housing energy efficiency retrofit policy.
The aims of this paper are to: (1) describe the HEED data, in particular to assess its overall representativeness as compared to other housing data for Great Britain (GB); (2) to describe the differences in energy demand (gas and electricity) of the HEED housing stock, segmented by built form characteristics and level of energy efficiency; (3) to determine the change in energy demand associated with the presence of energy efficiency interventions as they relate to changes in energy demand for a selected period (i.e. 2005–2007); and (4) to consider the policy implications of this ‘in action’ population level data source on developing housing energy efficiency retrofit policy.
1.1. Background
Although significant investments in energy efficient technologies and policies have seen a drop in per capita energy demand for key services (i.e. heating and hot water), total energy use in developed countries has grown steadily, particularly electricity use (IEA, 2008 and Pérez-Lombard et al., 2008). Despite this growth, national GHG reduction plans and security of supply are dependent on considerable and rapid reductions in energy demand from buildings (European Commission, 2011 and UK CCC, 2010). The UK Committee on Climate Change has acknowledged that an overall GHG emission reduction of greater than 80% by 2050 is required in the built environment (DECC, 2009a and UK CCC, 2010). Further, the Government has supported a target of ‘zero carbon’ for all new buildings by 2019 and near zero emissions from all existing buildings by 2030 (CLG, 2007 and DECC & DCLG, 2010). Delivering this transformation will not only require a range of effective technology interventions but also a deeper level of understanding of the underlying relationships between people, energy use, buildings and environment. Without this insight the ability to develop evidence-based policies to tackle energy demand in buildings is severely compromised (Oreszczyn and Lowe, 2010).
1.2. Energy demand in UK houses
Between 1970 and 20081 estimates of per capita energy demand for lighting and appliances increased by 88%, meanwhile space heating is estimated to have peaked in the 1980s and has declined by approximately 8% per capita (DECC, 2012b). Total delivered energy demand in dwellings has grown by 30% during the same period, though peaking around 2004. Gas demand has fallen by 20% between 2005 and 2010; temperature, price and a general improvement in efficiency are cited as reasons for this decline (DECC, 2010b).
In 2010, domestic (i.e. residential) delivered energy accounted for approximately 33% (490 TWh) of total GB energy demand by final consumption, of which gas and electricity accounted for approximately 70% (344 TWh) and 23% (113 TWh) respectively (DECC, 2013). Fig. 1 shows an estimate of the total residential demand by service type and fuel2(DECC, 2010b). The majority of residential energy demand is for space and hot water heating (78%) with the remainder for appliances (16%) and cooking (3%). 能源需求和家庭能源效率数据库英文文献和中文翻译(2):http://www.751com.cn/fanyi/lunwen_49241.html