This is a collaborative 3-year research project funded by EPSRC in partnership with E.ON. The academic partners involved are: UCL (lead partners), Leeds Metropolitan University, Loughborough University, De Montford University, Kings College London, Cardiff University and the University of Greenwich.

CCC uses the methodology of Action Research to engage users in the design of control systems which will reduce energy use (and therefore carbon emissions) in dwellings, whilst retaining or enhancing levels of comfort for the occupants. The aim is to achieve a 20% reduction in energy use through working more effectively with existing technologies and building fabrics, via the development of control systems which are both convenient to use and appropriate to the needs of users with a variety of lifestyles.

The control systems will be designed and tested in a way that complies with utilities’ CERT-2 obligations, and the project will also develop design, installation and maintenance guidelines which will enable a wider application of important principles identified.

Project Objectives

The main objectives of the project are as follows:

• To understand and categorise occupants’ comfort practices in their homes: i.e. to understand how they use technologies (e.g. heating controls, lights); fabric (e.g. doors, windows); furnishings (curtains, rugs); clothes and other means to make themselves comfortable.
• To quantify the energy consequences (carbon emissions, load profile) of these practices, how they vary between two different urban settings, over time and across homes of different occupancy.
• To engage with occupants’ to design and test examples of the two main strategies for control: machine driven (intelligent automation); and user driven (information and feedback).
• To monitor and validate the reduction in carbon emissions and change in load profile arising from these control strategies in field trials a sample of ordinary homes.
• To generalise the reduction in carbon emissions and change in load profile arising from these control strategies from the findings of the field trials to larger populations for policy purposes.
• To engage with utilities (through E.ON); government policies and programmes (e.g. the Green Homes Service); and landlord groups (e.g. social housing landlords) to make the control strategies and control system design guidance as best suited to their needs as possible.
• Through interdisciplinary working, to make a contribution to academic literature and theories on socio-technical systems, user centred design, practice oriented product design and sustainable design – with specific reference to domestic energy.
• To underpin the development and application of technology/strategy based solutions to improve the comfort performance of existing buildings;
• To develop guidance documents on the construction management and facilities management of the control systems developed so as to maximise lifecycle energy and carbon savings.
• To provide guidance documents on the design of monitoring and verification of energy and carbon savings from control system based behavioural measures compliant with the emerging CERT-2 requirements.

Weather station attached to one of the monitored test dwellings

Actual energy use will be measured in detail for a number of dwellings over at least two heating seasons for two different heating technologies. The two technologies are Ground-source Heat Pumps and Gas Condensing boilers. Leeds Metropolitan University research team will work with Harrogate Borough Council to perform detailed energy monitoring of a maximum of 10 dwellings with Ground-source Heat Pumps. Following social survey work led by other partners, a sub-set of these dwellings will be monitored in even further detail with respect to thermal comfort conditions. This continuous monitoring extending before, during and after technical or behavioural intervention cycles, will enable assessment of the efficacy of the interventions introduced.

Project Partners

UCL (lead partners)
Loughborough University
De Montford University
Kings College London
Cardiff University
University of Greenwich
EPSRC
E.ON