Inspiring low-energy retrofits: the influence of ‘open home’ events

Abstract

‘Eco open home’ events showcase environmentally sustainable home renovations and retrofits. The role of these events is explored for imparting motivation and accelerating behavioural change to the event visitors for undertaking their own low-energy retrofits. Drawing on a wide range of visitor survey datasets, these community-led and locally situated events are analyzed from a social learning perspective, focusing on the visitor experiences, and the role that open home events have as situated learning, embracing the power of storytelling. Using a ‘Many Sets of Data’ approach, data are examined from three years of Australia's largest eco open home event, and visitor survey and interview reports from seven different UK eco open home events, highlighting visitor characteristics and experiences, and post-visit levels of technology adoption and behaviour change. The research finds a consistent positive experience for attendees, most of whom are homeowners already engaged on their journey of eco-home renovation. The high degree of satisfaction from attending eco open home events, combined with the high rates of perceived learning, and the track record of post-event renovation action demonstrate that these events encourage and support engaged attendees to undertake low-energy renovations.

Keywords::

• energy
• homeowners
• housing
• low carbon
• motivation
• social learning
• stakeholders

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank John Doggart from the Sustainable Energy Academy for his support in providing data from SuperHome events; and the Australian Solar Energy Society for the use of data from Sustainable House Day.