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Decarbonizing national housing stocks: strategies, barriers and measurement
Many nations have set tough targets for reducing the CO2 emissions of their building stocks. The Building Research &
Information special issue titled ‘Climate Change: National Building Stocks’ (2007) (volume 35, number 4) describes
policy instruments, stock management approaches, and energy supply strategies proposed in a number of counties. Two
contrasting propositions for reducing emissions from the UK’s housing stock, both based on modelling studies, are
discussed in this commentary. One is based on extensive stock management, including increased demolition rates, rigorous
energy-efficiency measures, embedded renewable energy generation, and a supportive population. The other is based on
the multiplication of more modest improvements in all these areas together with decarbonization of the central electricity
supply. Broader sustainability considerations cast doubt on the merits of increased demolition rates, and studies using
measured data demonstrate the complex interactions that can occur between embedded energy conversion technologies
and the energy supply infrastructure. The commentary highlights some of the barriers to achieving deep cuts in emissions
from housing stocks. These need to be examined closely in future research. Equally importantly, there is a need for
extensive nationwide monitoring campaigns in order to plan decarbonizing strategies properly and to assess their impact.
History
School
- Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering
Citation
LOMAS, K.J., 2009. Decarbonizing national housing stocks: strategies, barriers and measurement. Building Research & Information, 37 (2), pp. 187-191Publisher
© Taylor & FrancisVersion
- NA (Not Applicable or Unknown)
Publication date
2009Notes
This article is restricted access. The article was published in the journal, Building Research & Information [© Taylor and Francis]. It is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09613210802645874ISSN
0961-3218Language
- en