Maximising the outcomes of social housing retrofitting strategies, the case study of Bolzano

 

What are the keys of success to maximise the benefits of energy efficient renovation strategies and how to avoid rebound effects? In Bolzano, experts from EURAC Research, partners of the Sinfonia project, have studied tenant’s energy behaviours in the social housing buildings that are currently being renovated in the framework of the project.

 

The objective? Analysing the factors influencing the success of refurbishment projects implemented in social housing buildings. Basing their findings on the case study carried out in Bolzano and the results of the surveys performed in the retrofitted buildings, researchers have identified several social and behavioural factors creating a gap between the expected and actual results of renovation projects in social housing neighbourhoods.

 

As a result, EURAC experts were able to understand which of the factors identified during the pre-refurbishment phase were acting as leverage for the success of refurbishment projects. In addition, they demonstrated the importance of analysing tenant’s behaviour and social contexts prior to the implementation of energy efficient renovation projects in order to increase their efficacy in socially vulnerable environments.

 

The study,called "In search of behavioural and social levers for effective social housing retrofit programs", was carried out by Nives Della Valle, Adriano Bisello and Jessica Balest, from EURAC Research, and will be published on the 1st of August 2018 in the 'Energy and Buildings' journal. To learn more and read the full study, click on the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778817341439

REFURBISHMENT
2018-06-18