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Energy sufficiency through social innovation in housing

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  • Lorek, Sylvia
  • Spangenberg, Joachim H.

Abstract

Experience shows that energy savings through energy efficiency measures are partly compensated by income growth, and partly by rebound effects. Therefore to be effective, efficiency measures have to be embedded in a concept of sufficiency which strives for limits and absolute reduction of energy consumption. While the sufficiency concept is not new, it only recently gained attention in the field of housing. This paper provides a basis for broader and more informed debates in policy and research on the potential of sufficiency considerations to contribute to the overall reduction of energy consumption in the residential sector. It recommends shifting the attention from energy consumption of buildings towards a concept of sustainable homes in which e.g. the size of the living area plays a crucial role. A further important aspect is the possibility to fulfil other basic needs like the provision with food, recreation and social contacts in the nearby environment. The paper describes first examples of housing projects guided by sufficiency criteria, depicts the potential roles of different actor groups and points towards some general policy recommendations.

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  • Lorek, Sylvia & Spangenberg, Joachim H., 2019. "Energy sufficiency through social innovation in housing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 287-294.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:126:y:2019:i:c:p:287-294
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.11.026
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    4. Gough, Ian & Horn, Stefan & Rogers, Charlotte & Tunstall, Rebecca, 2024. "Fair decarbonisation of housing in the UK: a sufficiency approach," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122477, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Florence Ziesemer & Alexandra Hüttel & Ingo Balderjahn, 2019. "Pioneers’ Insights into Governing Social Innovation for Sustainable Anti-Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-16, November.
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    8. Michael Buschka & Philipp Schepelmann & Fiona Breucker & Jenny Kurwan, 2024. "Sufficiency Initiatives and Municipalities: Opportunities and Limitations for Bringing People and Politics Together," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9.
    9. Viktorija Bobinaite & Inga Konstantinaviciute & Arvydas Galinis & Mária Bartek-Lesi & Viktor Rácz & Bettina Dézsi, 2022. "Energy Sufficiency in the Household Sector of Lithuania and Hungary: The Case of Heated Floor Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Nick Van Loy & Griet Verbeeck & Elke Knapen, 2021. "Personal Heating in Dwellings as an Innovative, Energy-Sufficient Heating Practice: A Case Study Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-27, June.
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    12. F. Vendrell-Herrero & M. Opazo-Basáez & Josip Marić, 2023. "Open and Social: Portraying the Resilient, Social and Competitive, Upcoming Enterprise," Post-Print hal-04434045, HAL.
    13. Matschoss, Kaisa & Mikkonen, Irmeli & Gynther, Lea & Koukoufikis, Giorgos & Uihlein, Andreas & Murauskaite-Bull, Ingrida, 2022. "Drawing policy insights from social innovation cases in the energy field," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    14. Spangenberg, Joachim H. & Lorek, Sylvia, 2019. "Sufficiency and consumer behaviour: From theory to policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 1070-1079.
    15. Pramit Verma & Justyna Chodkowska‐Miszczuk & Agata Lewandowska & Łukasz Wiśniewski, 2023. "Local resilience for low‐carbon transition in Poland: Frameworks, conditions and opportunities for Central European countries," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 1278-1295, June.
    16. Marcin Sitek & Manuela Tvaronavičienė, 2021. "Innovation Management in Polish Real Estate Developers in the Renewable Energy Sources Context," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    17. Stieß, Immanuel & Umbach-Daniel, Anja & Fischer, Corinna, 2019. "Smart small living? Social innovations for saving energy in senior citizens’ households by reducing living space," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    18. Okushima, Shinichiro, 2024. "Measuring energy sufficiency: A state of being neither in energy poverty nor energy extravagance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 354(PA).
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    20. Jungell-Michelsson, Jessica & Heikkurinen, Pasi, 2022. "Sufficiency: A systematic literature review," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).

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