Energy policy in domestic buildings
Energy sustainability is a critical national and international strategic issue. The cost and mix of national energy sources affect international competitiveness, security, local pollution levels and the extent of global warming. The Irish domestic sector accounts for one quarter of national energy consumption, yet it is a poor performer in terms of sustainable energy uptake. This problem is exacerbated by a lack of accurate data on household energy consumption.
This research project addresses these concerns through three objectives.
- The first is to generate reliable data on current domestic energy consumption.
- The second is to identify systematically relevant social, political, regulatory, technical, economic and environmental barriers to sustainable energy uptake in the sector.
- The accomplishment of these two objectives is a necessary precursor to achieving the main objective: to identify policy tools that increase energy-efficient technology uptake in domestic buildings and groups of buildings.
The outcomes from this research will include: rich energy-consumption data; possible improvements in renewable technologies; and sustainable energy models that will support evidence-based energy policy choice. For example, models may highlight the need for - and quantify the impact of - fiscal and regulatory policies in the areas of renewable energy taxation, two-way ‘smart’ electricity metering, changes in building regulations and improved public information programmes. The project is unique in its multidisciplinary span and breadth of research: architects, engineers, materials’ scientists, marketing professionals and specialists in futures techniques will work together to examine the impediments to reducing carbon emissions from our building stock.
A number of current and past documents prepared by the Energy policy reseach team can be viewed here:
Click here for Energy Policy intranet site
Associated DIT Personnel
Dr. Ela Krawczyk
Prasad Jadhav
Dr Kirk Shanks
Lacour Mody Ayompe
Dr Aidan Duffy
Keith Sunderland
Dr Michael Conlon
Marius Claudy
Andy Maguire
Dr Aidan O'Driscoll
