This paper explores influences of housing policies on housing sustainability, including multi-level transition process for housing energy efficiency. Important structural barriers experienced by housing stakeholders in implementing essential conditions for housing energy efficiency; and changes critical for strategic performance of housing sector are discussed. A mixed methodology was used to identify effects on the England housing organisaiton’s operational capabilities. The important barriers were evaluated by a survey distributed to the stakeholders throughout the England demographics; and housing experts were employed through Delphi method to highlight strategic capabilities required by the organisations to optimise their performance for energy efficiency. The findings were used to develop a conceptual model for “improved energy efficiency” for sustainable housing which explicitly embodies essential conditions, important structural barriers and stakeholders’ perspective into one congruent relationship model.

1. INFLUENCES OF POLICIES ON HOUSING SUSTAINABILITY: CASE OF A
DEVELOPED COUNTRY
Renuka Thakore1
, Jack Goulding1
and Mark Toogood1
1
University of Central Lancashire
SUMMARY: This paper explores influences of housing policies on housing sustainability, including multi-level
transition process for housing energy efficiency. Important structural barriers experienced by housing
stakeholders in implementing essential conditions for housing energy efficiency; and changes critical for
strategic performance of housing sector are discussed. A mixed methodology was used to identify effects on the
England housing organisaiton’s operational capabilities. The important barriers were evaluated by a survey
distributed to the stakeholders throughout the England demographics; and housing experts were employed
through Delphi method to highlight strategic capabilities required by the organisations to optimise their
performance for energy efficiency. The findings were used to develop a conceptual model for “improved energy
efficiency” for sustainable housing which explicitly embodies essential conditions, important structural barriers
and stakeholders’ perspective into one congruent relationship model.
Keywords: housing policies, housing energy efficiency, structural barriers, strategic performance, congruent
relationship model
ABSTRACT
Worldwide housing sectors are challenged to
provide low carbon housing and environmental
sustainability due to their being traditionally energy
intensive. This also means that housing sectors
would have to deal with range of implicit challenges
such as governance structures demonstrating
entrepreneurships and commercialization whilst
concentrating on cost savings and economic
performances. This would inevitably require
understanding the interplay of housing policies,
governance and organizational strategies, and the
sustainability criteria for factors most affecting the
housing stakeholders’ decision-making process.
England housing sector is further challenged
because it is a highly energy intensive sector; and
strongly believed to be equipped with range of
existing technologies and low-carbon strategies to
implement energy efficiency measures.
A large number of studies have contributed
towards the approaches of mitigating carbon
reduction problem by better delivery of
technological performances and alternative forms of
energy generation, however, such approaches have
structural problems and controversial outcomes that
are incapable of attending to the broader
socio-political objectives. Along with the technical
benefits of energy savings, the social benefits of
enhanced energy efficiency are also well
documented. Social benefits include improved state
of living conditions and public health; reduced
social inequality and increased social cohesion,
balanced urban, regional and local residential energy
efficiency programmes and improved consumer
behaviour and behavioural changes. Lack of urgent
and coordinated actions from interdependent
multi-dimensional stakeholders within the complex,
multi-layered housing regime has hampered the
growth of low carbon housing and thus there is an
urgent need for studies with interdisciplinary
approach such as taken in this study.
The existing England housing sector has been
shaped by the influences of housing policies over
the past decades. These policies have brought about
great changes in the way housing is provided,
funded and managed and given rise a number of
institutional forms and shapes ranging from private
enterprises through hybrid institutional structures to
social enterprises. Thus to exploit and assist the
housing policy makers and stakeholders; it is
important to engage stakeholders and improve
understanding of the complex and multi-level
interconnected housing complementaries.
Extant literature review was carried out and
commonly experienced 40 barriers to energy
efficiency implementation were identified. Online
survey was conducted throughout the demographics
of England to identify the latent construct of the
most important barriers experienced by the
stakeholders. Quantitative analysis highlighted that
housing organisation’s operational capabilities and
ability to secure finance and support were affected
due to changes in sustainable development and
planning policy framework and the top-down
bombardment of these policies for energy efficiency.
The barriers included lack of priority for energy
efficiency, lack of leadership, lack of
management/capabilities, lack of accountability and
lack of culture to embrace innovation at micro
organisational level; as well as lack of priority for
energy efficiency; high upfront costs or lack of
subsidies, lack of exemptions/reduction, lack of
support from intermediary agency, and lack of use
of exclusively “high technology” at macro, national
level.
The findings were investigated to a greater depth
through Delphi method. A questionnaire with open,
closed and scalar questions was distributed to the
GRAND RENEWABLE ENERGY 2014 Abstracts
27 July - 1 August, 2014
Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo Japan
O-Po-1-1

2. panel experts for their responses. A summary of the
responses was revised in light of collective answers
and discussion on telephone if needed. These results
will be used to develop a conceptual model for
“improved energy efficiency” for sustainable
housing which explicitly embodies essential
conditions, important structural barriers and
stakeholders’ perspective into one congruent
relationship model. Though the model will be
developed in context of housing regime in England;
it would be applicable to other parts of UK and in
other countries with similar socio-political
configuration in housing regime.
GRAND RENEWABLE ENERGY 2014 Abstracts
27 July - 1 August, 2014
Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo Japan