Occupant behaviour in energy efficient dwellings: Evidence of a rebound effect

The energy required for space heating has been significantly reduced in recent decades by making use of insulation and more efficient heating and ventilation systems. Even so, wide variations in energy consumption are still observed between similar dwellings and between actual and predicted levels. It is thought that these variations stem from...

Missing carbon reductions?: Exploring rebound and backfire effects in uk households

Households are expected to play a pivotal role in reducing the UK’s carbon emissions, and the Government is targeting specific household actions as part of its plan to meet the legally binding targets set out in the Climate Change Act 2008. However, by focusing on discrete actions, the Government fails to take account the Rebound Effect – a...

Assessing the residential energy rebound effect by means of a serious game

Residential energy efficiency improvements often have a smaller effect than expected. Although there is agreement on the existence of this effect, called the rebound effect, there is no agreement on the size of the effect. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of using serious games to assess this effect. We used a game...

Effect of GIA models with 3D composite mantle viscosity on GRACE mass balance estimates for Antarctica

Seismic data indicate that there are large viscosity variations in the mantle beneath Antarctica. Consideration of such variations would affect predictions of models of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA), which are used to correct satellite measurements of ice mass change. However, most GIA models used for that purpose have assumed the mantle to...

Paradigms and paradoxes: The futures of growth and degrowth

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce three storylines that address the relation between economic growth, technical innovation and environmental impact. The paper assesses if and how these storylines as guiding visions increase our range of future orientations. Design/methodology/approach: The paper first explains its general...

Insulation or Smart Temperature Control for Domestic Heating: A Combined Analysis of the Costs, the Eco-Costs, the Customer Perceived Value, and the Rebound Effect of Energy Saving

Calculating the environmental benefits of energy saving systems in dwellings in a life cycle assessment (LCA) has two major issues, namely: how to deal with the customer behaviour and how to deal with rebound effects. Both issues are important for sustainable strategies. From a user-centred design perspective, two fundamentally different...

The effects of late Weichselian sediment redistribution on post-glacial isostasy in the Fennoscandian and Barents Sea region

The sea level equation, originally formalized by Farrell and Clark [1976], is used to determine the gravitationally self-consistent sea level in response to surface loading. Whereas previously only historic ice sheet growth and ablation were taken into account now also the redistribution of sediment is considered. Following the framework of...

A 3D Glacial Isostatic Adjustment model for Northwestern Europe

The Earth is subjected to 100,000 year cycles of glaciation and deglaciation. The deformations induced by glacial and oceanic loading and the continuous attempt at recovery of the isostatic equilibrium within the solid Earth, are referred to as Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA). This process is ongoing still and yields a large contribution to...

Residential energy rebound effect assessment by using serious games

Energy reduction has been on the political agenda since the last couple of decades. One of the most common policies to reduce energy consumption has been improving efficiency. However, the phenomenon called the rebound effect may threaten the effectiveness of policies aiming to reduce consumption by improving efficiency. The rebound effect is...

Enhancing textile reuse in the Netherlands: An agent-based modelling study towards reuse rebound effects and value changes in the textile industry

Enhanced textile reuse is required due to the textile industry's increasing environmental pressure. In order to reach this, behavioural change is necessary. However, it is currently unknown which changes in consumer values that determine textile reuse consumption are<br/>most effective. In addition, rebound effects appear: reuse lowers the...

Measurement, Control and Reduction of DSM Carbon Footprint by Developing and Implementing a Sustainable Office Model within DFS: Green Office Ecological Model "GO-ECO"

The world will be faced with the challenge of accommodating nine billion people for 2050; the question is if our planet will have the resources necessary to provide a healthy and comfortable way of living for its habitants. That is why sustainability is important for DSM, and sustainability means “meeting the needs of the present without...