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Beyond climate, culture and comfort in European preferences for low-carbon heat
Version 2 2023-06-12, 09:37
Version 1 2023-06-09, 22:23
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 09:37 authored by Benjamin SovacoolBenjamin Sovacool, Christina Demski, Lance NoelIt is imperative that climate, energy, and sustainability policy researchers and practitioners grapple with the difficulty of decarbonizing heat, which remains the largest single end-use energy service worldwide. In this study, based on a comparative assessment of five original and representative national surveys in Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (N = 10,109), we explore public attitudes of household heat decarbonization in Europe. We explore how people conceive of the purposes of low-carbon heat, their preferences for particular forms of heat supply, and their (at times odd) practices of heat consumption and temperature settings. The data reveal four significant challenges to heat decarbonization that are consistent across geographies: 1) High satisfaction with existing, often fossil fuel based, heating systems; 2) Varying and divergent preferences and expectations for thermal comfort; 3) Householders unlikely to change their heating system in the near-term, in part driven by low familiarity and knowledge of alternative systems; and 4) heat satisfaction appears lower as the fuel mix is decarbonized. The paper concludes by connecting these findings with policy and research implications.
Funding
UK Centre for Research on Energy Demand; G2424; EPSRC-ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
SWS Heat - Developing the next generation technologies of renewable electricity and heating/cooling; G2475; EUROPEAN UNION; 764025
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Global Environmental ChangeISSN
0959-3780Publisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Volume
66Page range
1-11Article number
a102200Department affiliated with
- SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2020-12-09First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-01-14First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2020-12-09Usage metrics
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