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Boyd, P and Schweber, L (2018) Unintended consequences: institutional artefacts, closure mechanisms and the performance gap. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 10–22.

Darby, S J (2018) Smart technology in the home: time for more clarity. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 140–7.

Frances, Z and Stevenson, F (2018) Domestic photovoltaic systems: the governance of occupant use. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 23–41.

  • Type: Journal Article
  • Keywords: actants; governance; housing; intermediaries; mediators; occupants; performance gap; photovoltaics (PV); translation network;
  • ISBN/ISSN: 0961-3218
  • URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2017.1313661
  • Abstract:
    Housing is responsible for 29% of all CO2 emissions in the UK, yet there is still limited understanding of why housing routinely uses more energy than predicted, resulting in a performance gap. Recent studies attribute this gap to insufficient use of energy-efficient technologies by occupants. This paper focuses on the governance of domestic photovoltaic (PV) systems in the UK during the provision stage, an overlooked area in the previous energy-efficiency studies that have mainly focused on PV adoption and practices by occupants, but only after installation. The notion of translation in Actor Network Theory (ANT) is used to analyse how a network of PV provision actants decides the system design and integration into homes, and how this in turn conditions household participation in this network. Semi-structured interviews and video tours used in four participative community and two non-participative community case studies reveal the impact of non-human actants in terms of how PV scripts and practices are formed by PV professionals. The finding also shows that the nominated ‘procurement occupants’ were the key mediators in the participative projects, while the housing developers were the key mediators in the non-participative projects.

Gram-Hanssen, K and Georg, S (2018) Energy performance gaps: promises, people, practices. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 1–9.

Hansen, A R, Gram-Hanssen, K and Knudsen, H N (2018) How building design and technologies influence heat-related habits. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 83–98.

Hargreaves, T, Wilson, C and Hauxwell-Baldwin, R (2018) Learning to live in a smart home. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 127–39.

Madsen, L V (2018) Materialities shape practices and notions of comfort in everyday life. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 71–82.

Palm, J, Ellegård, K and Hellgren, M (2018) A cluster analysis of energy-consuming activities in everyday life. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 99–113.

Sunikka-Blank, M, Galvin, R and Behar, C (2018) Harnessing social class, taste and gender for more effective policies. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 114–26.

van den Brom, P, Meijer, A and Visscher, H (2018) Performance gaps in energy consumption: household groups and building characteristics. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 54–70.

Wade, F, Murtagh, N and Hitchings, R (2018) Managing professional jurisdiction and domestic energy use. Building Research & Information, 46(01), 42–53.