Publications
21 results found
Owen AM, Murtagh N, Simpson K, 2023, Understanding what shapes pro-environmental behaviours in small construction firms, Handbook on Pro-Environmental Behaviour Change, Pages: 184-197, ISBN: 9781800882126
Simpson K, Cockbill S, Childs P, 2022, Home energy renovation: UK owner-occupied householder uncertainties, information and data needs, IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol: 1085, Pages: 1-8, ISSN: 1755-1307
Homes must become low energy, resilient to climate change and provide comfort for households, as part of the European renovation wave. Renovation involves millions of decisions and actions. Owner-occupied households are a key group of decision-makers, but with conflicting demands on their time and finances. Householders collect information from multiple sources. However, previous research has found that the detail of available information and data on renovation is difficult to find. Therefore, this paper aims to identify householder uncertainties and related information and data needs, to support early-stage energy renovation decision-making. Co-design has been found to be beneficial in designing energy demand reduction strategies, leading to meaningful outcomes for householders, however, it was found to lead to further information requirements. The open virtual information exchange reported here, inspired by co-design and virtual workshop approaches, was effective in identifying uncertainties and gathering feedback on information types and data to address them. Householders' require trusted specialists to visit the home in-person. The information identified could be shared via trials at renovation information hubs, potentially using digital apps to connect renovation opportunity, householders' and trusted practitioners. There is much householder uncertainty around housing renovation and more work is needed to move able-to-pay householders from renovation planning to renovation in practice.
Murtagh N, Owen A, Simpson K, 2021, Engaging UK repair-maintain-improve practitioners in improved building performance, International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, ISSN: 2398-4708
Simpson K, Murtagh N, Owen A, 2021, Domestic retrofit: understanding capabilities of micro enterprise building practitioners, Buildings & Cities, Vol: 2, Pages: 449-466, ISSN: 2632-6655
To deliver effective domestic retrofit at scale, it is essential to understand the current and required capabilities of building practitioners working in the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) of existing buildings. Capability research in the construction sector has previously focused on large projects, but small, and particularly, micro-firms that undertake RMI and form 77% of workers in construction, are under-researched. This gap is addressed by the present study on the capabilities of the practitioners and the contextual opportunities to deploy capabilities. The study analysed data from interviews (n = 27) with micro-enterprise building practitioners working in the UK’s RMI sector. Template analysis was conducted by applying an established model of behaviour change: Capability, Opportunity, Motivation—Behaviour (COM-B). Under Capability, three main themes were identified: knowledge, business management and individual characteristics. Under Opportunities, the main themes were state action, market and customer demand, technology diffusion, networks and business management. Under Motivation the themes were pride in work, good working relationships, maintaining a viable business and customer satisfaction. Practitioners are continually learning and problem-solving, developing trust and creating positive professional relationships. Working with these existing capabilities, experiential learning on-site and peer-to-peer training are recommended to scale up capability. For capabilities to be deployed, policy must enable opportunities across the multiple contexts micro-enterprise practitioners operate within, including training and incentives across the supply chain network and in stimulating demand.
Mijic A, Whyte J, Fisk D, et al., 2021, The Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation – 2030 vision and 10-year celebration
The 2030 vision of the Centre is to bring Systems Engineering and Innovation to Civil Infrastructure by changing how cross-sector infrastructure challenges are addressedin an integrated way using principles of systems engineering to maximise resilience, safety and sustainability in an increasingly complex world.We want to better understand the environmental and societal impacts of infrastructure interventions under uncertainty. This requires a change in current approaches to infrastructure systems engineering: starting from the natural environmentand its resources, encompassing societaluse of infrastructure and the supporting infrastructure assets and services.We argue for modelling that brings natural as well as built environments within the system boundaries to better understand infrastructure and to better assess sustainability. We seethe work as relevant to both the academic community and to a wide range of industry and policy applications that are working on infrastructure transition pathways towards fair, safe and sustainable society.This vision was developed through discussions between academics in preparation for the Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation (CSEI) 10 years celebration. These rich discussions about the future of the Centre were inspired by developing themes for a celebration event, through which we have summarised the first 10 years of the Centre’s work and our vision for the future and identified six emerging research areas.
Murtagh N, Owen A, Simpson K, 2021, What motivates building repair-maintenance practitioners to include or avoid energy efficiency measures? Evidence from three studies in the United Kingdom, Energy Research and Social Science
Simpson K, Childs P, Whyte J, 2021, Sensitivity analysis of heating a typical UK dwelling and implications for retrofit design, International Hybrid Conference on Carbon Neutral Cities - Energy Efficiency and Renewables in the Digital Era (CISBAT), Publisher: IOP PUBLISHING LTD, Pages: 1-6, ISSN: 1742-6588
The aim of this research is to quantify the impact of heating set point on space heating energy demand for a typical UK dwelling. Retrofit includes fabric energy efficiency improvements. Energy performance certificates (EPCs) inform the householder of typical savings per measure, but this has previously been found to inaccurately estimate space heating energy demand, leading to errors in 'typical savings' presented to householders. The most sensitive inputs have been found to be temperature set point, followed by fabric efficiency. The BREDEM methodology assumes a temperature of 21°C for nine hours a day, rather than ~16°C and ~20°C found in research. The methods used to inform this study are local sensitivity analysis of the domestic energy model, based on a typical dwelling example with calibrated inputs. This is done using an open calibrated Python model, based on BREDEM. The impact of heating patterns on space heating energy demand are modelled pre retrofit; according to differing heating set points, following wall and loft fabric upgrade and full fabric upgrade. The BREDEM heating set point assumptions lead to space heating energy demand predicted ~50-100 kWh/m2/yr higher than real heating set points. Implications for retrofit design and EPCs are discussed.
Simpson K, Whyte J, Childs P, 2020, Data-centric innovation in retrofit: A bibliometric review of dwelling retrofit across North Western Europe, Energy and Buildings, Vol: 229, Pages: 1-9, ISSN: 0378-7788
Data-centric innovation can inform the development of effective retrofit strategies through novel methods of collecting, analysing and sharing data. This bibliometric review uses a text-mining tool to identify research trends in dwelling retrofit research across North Western Europe. The review identifies a major focus on energy efficiency, with sub-themes on: 1) energy performance, 2) heat, power and control technologies, 3) indoor environment quality and 4) retrofit practice. In dwelling retrofit, there is now an established research tradition of using data-centric methods in monitoring and modelling energy performance to inform and learn from energy efficiency interventions. Building on the state-of-the-art, our analyses suggest opportunities for data-centric methods to consider the indoor environment quality and material impacts resulting from energy performance improvements. This information can then be openly communicated across the supply chain. Thus the paper discusses the retrofit themes and data-centric methods within North Western Europe, for an emerging trajectory of data-centric retrofit research and practice.
Simpson C, Janda KB, Owen A, 2020, Preparing ‘middle actors’ to deliver zero-carbon building transitions, Buildings and Cities, Vol: 1, Pages: 610-624, ISSN: 2632-6655
The urgent transition to a zero-carbon economy requires building professionals to be supportive of, and prepared for, delivering zero-carbon buildings. Building professionals are important ‘middle actors’ who can either enable or inhibit such societal transitions. This paper explores building professionals’ perspectives on delivering zero-carbon buildings, leading to a practical synthesis of knowledge and skill requirements and training pathways. It draws on the middle-out perspective (MOP) and secondary analysis of three UK case studies. The MOP suggests that middle actors in a system are not perfectly responsive to policy push or market pull. Instead, they exert their own agency and capacity downstream to customers and clients, sideways to other middle actors and, occasionally, upstream to policy-makers. The data comprise: interviews and a small survey with building professionals on energy efficiency and refurbishment; the observation of a specific commercial office building design and development and a workshop to identify zero-carbon knowledge and skill needs of middle actors. Building professionals addressed in this paper include vocational trades, engineers, designers, project managers and ‘clerks of works’ (site-based quality technicians). Although formal training pathways for these roles differ, each can develop expertise ‘sideways’ interacting between professions.
Simpson C, 2020, Towards reproducible dwelling retrofit evaluation: Data, tools & opportunity to address uncertainty, BSO-V: IBPSA-England Building Simulation and Optimisation Conference 2020
Reproducible research allows scientific work to be trusted. It enables data to be shared and methods developed. Retrofit evaluation relies on mixed method data collection, processing and analysis techniques. This includes building performance simulation and indoor environment evaluation. However, few studies to date have successfully combined and shared these data. Reproducible retrofit evaluation is an emerging topic. In building simulation, there is a recognised gap between modelled and measured energy use. In previous research, the most sensitive parameters influencing domestic space heating energy demand were found to be temperature set points and heating duration. These are aleatory uncertainties and almost impossible to eliminate, but more data could increase knowledge. Government, organisations and researchers do share data openly, where ethical and possible, or required. However, not all data in academic research is designed to be open. Where ethical principles are followed, opportunity exists to progress this space. This paper aims to highlight the opportunity for space heating to be better characterised with more open data, particularly on indoor air temperature. A synthesis of recent work on open and reproducible research in relation to retrofit evaluation is presented. A reproducible guide is highlighted. This is followed by a summary of open datasets that inform retrofit decision-making. A gap is identified for more measured indoor air temperature. A selection of open-source tools and suitability for retrofit evaluation are discussed. The novel contribution is the identification of opportunities for reproducible retrofit research, using open data to address aleatory uncertainty in terms of heating behaviour, derived from air temperature data. In addition, ideas towards data repositories are made.
Simpson K, Owen A, 2020, Reflections From Engaging a Network of Local Stakeholders in Discussing Training Needs for Sustainable Renovation, Frontiers in Built Environment, Vol: 6, ISSN: 2297-3362
Sustainable renovation of buildings is essential to create comfortable, affordable buildings fit for the future. Sustainable renovation delivers on a triple bottom line of improving environmental, social and economic impacts. There is a clear policy driver for reducing environmental impact in the form of carbon emissions and alongside achieving this homes and communities can become more comfortable places to live, creating jobs and economic value. The purpose of this paper is to share reflections from stakeholder engagement in identifying workforce training requirements and needs to achieve sustainable renovation. The paper stems from data collected in an exploratory workshop and follow up discussions gathering multiple construction stakeholders in Leeds, United Kingdom, early 2018. Participants represented a networked system of roles including policy influencers, procurement staff, training providers, employers and skilled professionals. These stakeholders identified two areas of training need for sustainable renovation: building performance and social value. Within these two themes, we consider potential training routes in delivery as well as incentives and opportunities. We hope this reflection offers a platform for further research, training and practice in developing environmental, social and economic benefits from building renovation.
Simpson C, 2020, Towards open and citizen-led data informing dwelling retrofit strategies, Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society
Owen A, Janda K, 2020, Who Are the ‘Middle Actors’ in Sustainable Construction and What Do They Need to Know?, Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design Selected Proceedings from the International Conference of Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) 2019, Editors: Scott, Dastbaz, Gorse, Publisher: Springer Nature, ISBN: 9783030443818
Through research and proven practice, the aim of the International Conference of Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) is to foster ideas on how to reduce negative impacts on the environment while providing for the ...
Simpson C, Whyte J, Childs P, 2020, Residential retrofit: A review of themes, data-centric methods and future directions to accelerate net zero, CIBSE Technical Symposium
Owen A, Janda K, Simpson C, 2019, Who are the ‘middle actors’ in sustainable construction and what do they need to know?, Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS)
Simpson C, Owen A, 2019, Sustainable office construction processes and practices: An exploratory UK study, Association of Researchers in Construction Management
Iuorio O, Wallace A, Simpson C, 2019, Prefabs in the North of England: technological, environmental and social innovations, Sustainability, Vol: 11, ISSN: 2071-1050
Advances in digital technology have inaugurated a ‘fourth industrial revolution’, enabling, inter alia, the growth of ‘offsite’ housing construction in advanced economies. This productive transformation seems to be opening up new opportunities for styles of living, ownership, place-making and manufacturing that are more sustainable, democratic and bespoke. However, the full potential of this transformation is not yet clear nor how it will interact with—in the UK context—ongoing crises in housing provision rooted in an increasingly financialised and critically unbalanced national economy, timid state housing policies and a longstanding cultural preoccupation with mortgaged ‘bricks and mortar’ housing. In this paper, we report on an ongoing mixed method project interrogating the technological, environmental and social implications of the emergence of offsite housing construction in the UK. To a degree, we situate this interrogation in the Northern English region of Yorkshire, an emerging focal point of the growing offsite construction industry in the UK but an area afflicted by entrenched, post-industrial economic imbalances. The results show that offsite house engineers, designers and builders are innovatively embracing digital methods, a low carbon agenda and new approaches to place-making but that they have had little role, so far, in resolving the deeper structural problems affecting housing production in the UK, bringing the sustainability of their innovation into question.
Simpson C, Owen A, Chatterton P, 2019, Equipping construction workers withsustainable building skills:A focus on Leeds, Sustainability Research Institute, University of Leeds
Buildings account for 30% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions. In order to meet the legally binding 80% reduction target of CO2emissions by 2050 it has been estimated that we would need to achieve almost ‘zero carbon’ standards for 25million UK homes. Forambitious sustainable buildings to be retrofitted orconstructed, new configurations of technologies need to be installed. Therole of the construction industry workerhas been largely neglected in policy development debates and mechanisms have not produced vocational training schemes for trades. Leeds, home to the only construction-focused College in England withleading city-scale sustainability and building energy research,has the opportunity to pilot new approaches in building performance, social value and lean construction training which will help address skills gaps, and respond tothe Industrial and Clean Growth Strategies.
Simpson C, 2017, Energy efficiency refurbishment of UK owner occupied homes: the householders' perspective
Owner-occupiers represent 63.1% of UK households (ONS, 2016); a key group to focus attention on as a means to increase domestic energy efficiency rates (Risholt et al, 2013). The experiences of early-adopters of measures such as external wall insulation within this group may affect the future adoption rates, through word-of mouth referrals (McMichael & Shipworth, 2013). Householders’ are often willing to tolerate disruption, but unexpected delays or complications can cause considerable stress (Vadodaria et al., 2010). Negative attitudes can develop towards a refurbishment experience due to technological faults or internal disputes leading to problems with workmanship (Crosbie and Baker, 2010). These experiences can lead to dissatisfaction with the experience and potentially the refurbishment outcome in terms of energy demand and living environment comfort. This study has followed ten owner-occupied case study households through an energy efficiency refurbishment process. Householders’ were interviewed pre, during and post refurbishment over a period of one year, with a focus on the expectations and experiences of the refurbishment in terms of process and potential changes to thermal environment comfort and space heating energy demand. The interview data were triangulated with measurements of internal air temperature, air leakage tests and space heating energy use in addition to space heating energy modelling, using a version of the Standard Assessment Procedure (2009). The findings show that in terms of refurbishment process, measures which installers’ have more apparent experience in, such as combination boiler or window replacements have few unexpected events and outcomes, whereas measures such as external wall insulation and air leakage sealing can lead to refurbishment delays or dissatisfaction with workmanship. Two households exceeded the 2050 target for an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions from space heating. Nine improved thermal environmen
Simpson K, Smith K, Roberts S, 2016, Bristol Smart Energy City Collaboration: Regulatory and Policy, Social and Cultural pages
Simpson K, Smith K, Thomas K, 2016, Smart prepayment meters: householder experiences, Smart prepayment meters: householder experiences
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