150 P. NAEF ET AL.
a key issue in several countries, from the UK to Bulgaria—but also
upper limits to energy usage, in some contexts and in relation to certain practices.
Another main conclusion is the need to embed energy demand in
socio-material systems, tackling questions related to cultural context—
for example, the dominance of ‘car culture’ in the German case. While
the policy and technological dimensions of energy distribution are easier
to account for in country reviews, the collective conventions that hold
together everyday practices that use energy services are relatively under
studied. This relates to a key question in social science approaches to
energy: ‘how do conventions around energy services evolve, how do they
alter over time, and how can they be changed once they are cemented?’
(Sovacool 2014: 19). Comparable data is available on energy-related policies, forms of energy provisioning, technological configurations, climatic
factors or socio-demographic aspects, to name but a few angles, but
there is a lack of comparable empirical data on the collective conventions
around energy use and across European countries. The ENERGISE project contributes to this research gap by producing new learnings on social
conventions around energy usage across eight countries in Europe, with
a focus on heating and laundry, and providing insights on how upper
and relative limits to consumption can lead to reflections on ‘how much
is enough?’ (For example, see Sahakian et al. 2019), thus contributing
to energy transitions in specific contexts and cultures. In addition, the
good practice examples of sustainable energy initiatives provided in this
book can serve as inspiration to policy-makers, practitioners, businesses,
NGos, students, academics and others interested in creating a more
sustainable and just future.
referenCes
Bartiaux, F., Gram-Hanssen, K., Fonseca, P., ozoliņa, L., & Christensen, T. H.
(2014). A practice–theory approach to homeowners’ energy retrofits in four
European areas. Building Research & Information, 42(4), 525–538.
Boerstra, A. C., van Hoof, J., & van Weele, A. M. (2015). A new hybrid thermal comfort guideline for the Netherlands: Background and development.
Architectural Science Review, 58(1), 24–34.
Bopp, K.-F. (2007). Housing, energy and thermal comfort: A review of 10 countries within the WHO European Region. Copenhagen: WHo Regional office
for Europe.
a key issue in several countries, from the UK to Bulgaria—but also
upper limits to energy usage, in some contexts and in relation to certain practices.
Another main conclusion is the need to embed energy demand in
socio-material systems, tackling questions related to cultural context—
for example, the dominance of ‘car culture’ in the German case. While
the policy and technological dimensions of energy distribution are easier
to account for in country reviews, the collective conventions that hold
together everyday practices that use energy services are relatively under
studied. This relates to a key question in social science approaches to
energy: ‘how do conventions around energy services evolve, how do they
alter over time, and how can they be changed once they are cemented?’
(Sovacool 2014: 19). Comparable data is available on energy-related policies, forms of energy provisioning, technological configurations, climatic
factors or socio-demographic aspects, to name but a few angles, but
there is a lack of comparable empirical data on the collective conventions
around energy use and across European countries. The ENERGISE project contributes to this research gap by producing new learnings on social
conventions around energy usage across eight countries in Europe, with
a focus on heating and laundry, and providing insights on how upper
and relative limits to consumption can lead to reflections on ‘how much
is enough?’ (For example, see Sahakian et al. 2019), thus contributing
to energy transitions in specific contexts and cultures. In addition, the
good practice examples of sustainable energy initiatives provided in this
book can serve as inspiration to policy-makers, practitioners, businesses,
NGos, students, academics and others interested in creating a more
sustainable and just future.
referenCes
Bartiaux, F., Gram-Hanssen, K., Fonseca, P., ozoliņa, L., & Christensen, T. H.
(2014). A practice–theory approach to homeowners’ energy retrofits in four
European areas. Building Research & Information, 42(4), 525–538.
Boerstra, A. C., van Hoof, J., & van Weele, A. M. (2015). A new hybrid thermal comfort guideline for the Netherlands: Background and development.
Architectural Science Review, 58(1), 24–34.
Bopp, K.-F. (2007). Housing, energy and thermal comfort: A review of 10 countries within the WHO European Region. Copenhagen: WHo Regional office
for Europe.