The challenges of implementing low carbon retrofit in existing buildings – attending to installers and micro-enterprises

Through analysis of qualitative data from home energy retrofit projects we look for influences of human behaviour on energy use in the home, beyond the boundaries of the building and its design, recognising that energy use is not determined solely by the rational decisions of building users, or of the building’s designers. Our focus is on retrofit which encompasses a range of changes to existing buildings to alter energy use. Decisions to incorporate new energy technologies into the home (both energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies), and how those newly installed technologies are then used, are shaped by the advice and action of intermediaries, including energy efficiency advisers and energy technology installers. These intermediaries are often micro-enterprises employing 3 people or less. Understanding the nature of this influence, and how it might be directed to increase energy efficient behaviours, is an overlooked opportunity. Intermediaries take account of a range of factors in their work, including perceived client motivation, previous experience, availability of knowledge and experience in their networks, and risks and costs associated with innovation. Our exploratory study found that influence was greatest at the pre-installation stage, and that the influence which could be exercised post-installation was not realised (Owen and Mitchell, 2015).