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A User-Oriented Ethnographic Approach to Energy Renovation Projects in Multiapartment Buildings

Author

Listed:
  • Davide Prati

    (Dipartimento di Architettura, Università di Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

  • Stefania Spiazzi

    (ATER Venezia, Dorsoduro 3507, Fondamenta del Magazen, 30123 Venezia, Italy)

  • Gregor Cerinšek

    (IRI-UL Ljubljana, Univerza v Ljubljani, Kongresni trg 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia)

  • Annarita Ferrante

    (Dipartimento di Architettura, Università di Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

Abstract

The paper presents the activities related to ethnographic research in the Italian demo-case adapted to the needs of the TripleA-reno EU project (Affordable, Attractive, Accessible deep renovation). The overall study methodology is focused on the four phases of the People-centered development strategy, which focuses on the core idea that “knowing people” should become an integral part of energy renovation development processes as a means of achieving new categories of products, services, or business strategies. Ethnography is a typical methodology of anthropology. It is based primarily on the end-users observation, during which the researcher is directly involved in the daily activities, interactions, and events of a group of people. Involvement is intended as a means to learn the explicit and hidden aspects of an end-user’s daily life. The primary objective is to understand interactions between building occupants and the building itself, as well as their relationships and roles within the renovation processes. Implementing this research in the Italian case study has made it possible to form a knowledge base on the opinions of the subjects involved at the national level. The application of simplified ethnography methods combined with an appropriately studied questionnaire, conveyed through a web form, allowed for gathering useful information. The quantitative questionnaire data collected were then compared with the open-ended interviews collected from the residents of the Italian demo case building that was undergoing a forthcoming renovation. By confronting European, national, and demo case levels, it was possible to verify how the resident attitudes change concerning the energy renovation processes once directly involved. The aim was to understand which most stimulating factors have to be considered in order to make the end-user onboarding and renovation project experience more affordable, attractive, and accessible.

Suggested Citation

  • Davide Prati & Stefania Spiazzi & Gregor Cerinšek & Annarita Ferrante, 2020. "A User-Oriented Ethnographic Approach to Energy Renovation Projects in Multiapartment Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-18, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:19:p:8179-:d:423598
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frederiks, Elisha R. & Stenner, Karen & Hobman, Elizabeth V., 2015. "Household energy use: Applying behavioural economics to understand consumer decision-making and behaviour," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 1385-1394.
    2. Janda, Kathryn B., 2014. "Building communities and social potential: Between and beyond organizations and individuals in commercial properties," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 48-55.
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    Cited by:

    1. Guibentif, Thomas M.M. & Patel, Martin K. & Yilmaz, Selin, 2021. "Using energy saving deficit distributions to assess calculated, deemed and metered electricity savings estimations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    2. Theo Lynn & Pierangelo Rosati & Antonia Egli & Stelios Krinidis & Komninos Angelakoglou & Vasileios Sougkakis & Dimitrios Tzovaras & Mohamad Kassem & David Greenwood & Omar Doukari, 2021. "RINNO: Towards an Open Renovation Platform for Integrated Design and Delivery of Deep Renovation Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Guorui Chen & Li Cheng & Foyuan Li, 2022. "Integrating Sustainability and Users’ Demands in the Retrofit of a University Campus in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-21, August.

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