Date: 2018
Author(s): Steven Harris
Contributors: West Midlands Housing Officers’ Group (WMHOG)
Overview: In 2014 a social housing provider funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contracted Heat Genius and Energence to install energy, water, temperature, occupancy and humidity sensors in twelve of their properties. The intention being that after a monitored heating season half of those homes would be retrofitted for energy efficiency using various innovative technologies. The monitored results would then be compared, and lessons and observations drawn. The project was intended to test a range of technologies and the customer response to them.
This report follows two others which were produced as part of the project. The first, funded by the ERDF, audited the monitoring systems to check useful data would be able to be harvested. The second report, produced at the end of the ERDF funded project, looked at all the data just prior to the retrofit process, and drew observations on how the performance of the properties was dominated by lifestyle. This third report draws final conclusions after the retrofits have been completed and lived with through two/three heating seasons. It is predominantly based on interviews with the householders and the companies who supplied and installed the measures. For this report, we asked key questions such as: What information is available showing analysis of occupant behaviour change following the installation of different improvement measures? Which improvement measures show the best occupant behaviour change? How does technology and monitoring affect behaviour change? What has not worked and what the tenants did not like? Did bills reduce – if not, are the tenants more comfortable? Did the technologies work and continue working after 2 years?
