Low energy housing transition in the UK – the role of intermediaries in innovation processes Dr Mari Martiskainen and Dr Paula KivimaaCentre on Innovation and Energy Demand, University of SussexEnergy Cultures Conference, 6-7th July, Wellington

Structure of talk

• Brief intro to Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand

• Context of research: the UK’s housing sector

• Innovation intermediaries

• Intermediaries in low energy housing

• Empirical case research

• Initial findings

Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED)• Based at SPRU, University of

Sussex, UK (www.cied.ac.uk)• A socio-technical, whole systems,

approach to energy demand• Emergence, diffusion and impact

of radical low energy innovations• Funded by RCUK (2013-2018)• Sussex, Manchester, Oxford

Context of research: the UK’s housing sector• The quality of UK’s existing housing stock one of the worst in Europe• Slow turnover of new buildings

• Around 2/3 of existing 27 million homes will still be in use in 2050

• Multiple companies involved in the sector• Many SMEs, culture of subcontracting, uncoordinated sector, gap in skills and training

• Conservative building trade• Reluctance to change from traditional building methods

and renovation processes

• Energy efficiency improvements especially suffer from: • Often high upfront costs• Limited market demand – the ‘hassle factor’• Political and financing constraints

The UK’s housing sector cont.

• The UK housing sector has a history of incremental innovation

• Complicated policy mix and recent policy cancellations

• E.g. 38 instruments addressing energy efficiency in buildings

• Achievement of ambitious targets requires, systemic & architectural innovation

• Integration of multiple technologies

• Integrated design

• Collaboration between actors

• Use of practice-based knowledge

Role for intermediation?

Innovation intermediaries• Facilitators of innovation processes that are

neither the inventors nor the customers • Intermediaries have been defined as:

“actors who create spaces and opportunities for appropriation and generation of emerging technical or cultural products by others who might be described as developers and users” (Stewart & Hyysalo, 2008)

• Often hybrid and boundary crossing, may seek for neutrality

• Not only who they are but also what they do to drive innovation

Intermediaries in low energy housing• Previous research has identified a range of potential actors that

could act as intermediaries in the building sector

• E.g. architects, building managers, regulators, energy service companies, building innovation platforms, foundations, religious congregations, building professionals and commercial building communities

• In the UK, we have identified for example the following:

• Government organisations, local authorities, member/trade organisations, business organisations, housing associations, academics, environmental/energy charities and building specific charities

Empirical case research• Brighton ‘hotspot’ chosen as a context of case studies

• Green ‘milieu’ – protective space for low energy housing?

• Eco Open Houses event – showcases sustainable houses

• Cases of new built homes and whole house retrofits

• Document and literature analysis

• Semi-structured interviews with key actors

• Case histories tracing innovation process and the

role of intermediation

One Brighton case

• Low energy housing development by Bioregional, Crest Nicholson and Quantain

• Built as part of a larger regeneration site in central Brighton during 2007-2010

• 172 flats, of which 54 affordable homes• Objective to develop a cost-effective

development based on ‘One Planet Living’ principles

• Highly energy efficient, solar PVs and biomass boiler, car-free, rooftop allotments, community space

Intermediation in the One Brighton case

Project phase Actor/organisation Process Empirical evidence

Planning Sustainability consultant Stakeholder engagement and community development

• Chance encounter with a local council worker leads sustainability consultant to facilitate community engagement for One Brighton development

• Organising and facilitating meetings with community groups, taking on board suggestions and feedback

• Exhibiting One Brighton plans in key locations• Bringing in Bioregional as a developer, previous expertise in sustainable housing

Main developer Bioregional Developing One Brighton as first One Planet Living development

• Adapting learning from previous BedZED development on technology and lifestyle approach• Sourcing funding and key partners• Coordinating planning process• Integrating and licensing One Planet Living concept• Employing a Sustainability Integrator for the build process

Construction Main developer Bioregional &Sustainability Integrator

Ensuring sustainability criteria is met at all stages

• Coordinating all project partners• Sustainability Integrator checking all construction stages• Creating One Brighton Energy Service Company

Sustainability consultant, maintenance company

Promoting One Brighton to community groups and construction industry

• Creating community space ‘Brighton Junction’ and finding tenants• Helping with resources, e.g. funding for biomass boiler• Promoting One Brighton as a different from norm to construction industry

Post-construction Main developer Bioregional Post-occupancy evaluation • Collecting energy data• Addressing problems with biomass boiler• Showcasing One Brighton through visits, events and research• Planning other projects for replication

Embedding/upscaling Local authority Showcasing Brighton as a sustainableconstruction hub

• Using One Brighton as case in Eco Open Houses event• Using One Brighton as example to other developers of what can be achieved• Providing a protective space for subsequent building projects

Initial findings• Intermediary roles can change during the course of the project

• E.g. the role of the Sustainability Consultant in One Brighton case

• Boundaries of intermediation can be fluid, hence also drawing on the concept of an ‘innovation champion’ and how that relates to intermediation

• Intermediation by different actors at different stages of innovation process

• E.g. planning, construction, post-construction and embedding

• Changes in regimes influence the process of intermediation• E.g. the influence of the 2008 financial crash on the UK housing market

• E.g. policy changes such as removal of zero carbon homes requirement

• Systemic innovation requires effective intermediation• How to measure which intermediaries are effective?

• Intermediaries also benefit from practical experience and related learning

Thank you!

Contact:m.martiskainen@sussex.ac.uk

@martiskainen

www.cied.ac.uk www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexenergygroup/

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/