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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Community engagement with the energy efficiency in housing is seen as a very challenging strategy
that governments need to prioritize for climate agenda. Recent studies shed light on the underlying
influences of some networks of actors in the homeowners’ decision to improve the energy-efficiency
of their homes. Understanding the accurate role that both social and professional networks within
communities play among homeowners seems to be paramount for energy policies enlargement and
effectiveness. In a network level perspective, interpersonal communication, which has so far been
undervalued, appears to be an influential mode of trust and information to energy-related activities. An
exploratory research has been carried out in order to gain a sense about the whole chain in action
between the above mentioned actors as agents of change. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with
different Portuguese stakeholders involved in the renovation journey of owner occupied single-family
houses were conducted. The findings signpost that interpersonal networks play a trustworthy and
beneficial source of information along the entire renovation decision-making journey. In general, these
interpersonal connections are conveyed in the social network activating the homeowners’ willingness
to renovate, being a reliable channel for peer learning, guiding homeowners in the selection of
professionals and acting also as an evaluative judgement tool to assess these same professionals in their
technical advice. The results strengthen the view that the sense of neighbourliness, proximity and
cooperation between citizens engaged in energy issues could pave the way to empower these utmost
interpersonal networks which can have positive effects to encouraging house energy improvements.
Description
Keywords
Energy policies Homeowners Decision-making Social networks Renovation market professionals
Citation
Abreu, Maria Isabel; Oliveira, Rui; Lopes, Jorge (2022). Choreographing network-based influences on the homeowners’ decision journey about energy-related renovations. In 5th International Conference on Energy Production and Management: The Quest for Sustainable Energy, EPM 2022. p. 117-129. ISBN 978-178466457-2
Publisher
WITPress