Conference Agenda

‘Community Energy’ refers to people working together to reduce and manage energy use, and increase and support local energy generation. It can help promote the infrastructural, social and cultural changes we need to reduce the impact of climate change and increase energy security. The core part of community energy initiatives is people, and therefore engagement is essential. In this work, the authors appraised three innovative mechanisms used to engage residents in Project SCENe (Sustainable Community Energy Networks), an ongoing research and development community energy scheme in a real-world setting involving 31 homes in its first phase along the banks of Nottingham’s River Trent. New tools for improving crucial consumer and citizen engagement, participation, co-production and demand-side management were used and their efficacy analysed. These included a user engagement platform, an energy interaction model and in-home smart technology. The findings presented here epitomise the centrality of social-technological interdependencies and the importance of social and collective processes throughout these. It was concluded that civil society were essential actors in the services used and shaped through the passive and active processes that underpin what we do and why, and that utilising these in interrelated methods supports the development and outcomes of such projects.

This paper aimed at an approximation of daylight availability metrics and users 'perceptions in order to understand if the daylight metrics approach the users' visual experience on the sufficiency of natural light in classroom spaces in the city of Florianopolis / SC, Brazil. The study allowed the comparison of the results by simulations of Daylight Autonomy performed throughout the software DIVA Plug-in Rhinoceros 5.0, with visual perception drawings, conducted by 256 users of three classroom environments. This comparison indicated which simulated parameters correspond more closely to the evaluations of daylit area, partially daylit area and non daylit area in study spaces. There was a greater proximity between the DA500lux [50%]/ DA 250lux [50%] parameters in the first two rooms studied, and DA 300lux [50%] / DA 150lux [50%] in the third room analysed. The results evidenced the relation of aspects of visual perception not only with illuminance values, but also with the physical measurements of surface brightness, expressed through luminance. Since it is known that in addition to criteria of horizontal illuminance levels in the work plane, several factors influence the process of visual perception and characterization of the conditions of the light environment.

The purpose of this research was to identify the habitability conditions presented by house for low-income families in an area with extreme hot dry climate such as Mexicali. Field work was carried out, through surveys. Based on the opinion of the occupants of the dwelling, their perception of spatial, psychosocial and thermal conditions of their dwelling were obtained. The results show which the psychosocial aspects, such as perception of security, privacy and pride, are at adequate levels, however, the thermal habitability showed problems throughout the year.

Artisan brick fabrication in Mexican communities are known to have social backwardness, this generates human health and environmental issues due to high levels of pollution. This study shows an improvement proposal for the locality of San Diego Cuachayotla, leading brick producer in Mexico. It focuses and highlight the main problems of the chain production, through a participative diagnose methodology. As a result, an integral project was designed, in stages. A first one with the construction of a proposal including an improved productive space, a living area, a family orchard garden, fruit trees, and family farm area to supply and promote a scheme for self-sufficiency. The improvements of the productive chain were developed following the «Best Available Techniques» concept, and an ecologic oven MK2 was chosen due to its high energy efficiency, to its pollutants reduction and fuel savings at low cost and feasible technology. This project shows how utilizing inclusive diagnosis methodology following a selection of best options available can help to improve quality of life as well as a reduction on the environmental impact focused on specific community needs and demands.

The aim of this study is to clarify detailed typical daily patterns of occupants’ behaviour of window-opening and air-conditioning in hot-humid climates. Face-to-face interviews for 1,570 typical households were carried out in Malaysia and Indonesia. All samples were divided into several groups, based on the city climates and air-conditioner ownership, and subdivided through a principal component analysis and a hierarchical cluster analysis. The result shows the daily patterns of occupants’ behaviour in hot-humid cities is clearly different from those in relatively cool city. Windows tend to be opened during daytime even if air-conditioner is installed, while air-conditioners are mainly used during sleep time.