Resident-groups taking over the role of professionals, our new hope in sustainable-energy real-estate programs

Abstract

For new Real-Estate developments in the Netherlands, as for existing housing stock, Kyoto follow-ups to reduce the carbon energy use in new developments by up to 50% in 7 years have been agreed between government and housing developers since mid 2008. An obstacle to these sustainable-energy programs is that these developers are bearing the costs, not the residents who get the benefits. Secondly, trend analyses tell that for a breakthrough of results projects on the level of numbers of houses, or households, are needed. Hence it is worthwhile to know under what conditions resident-groups will taken responsibility for sustainable-energy project-developments themselves up to a level at which role-change with the professionals involved can be realized. In autumn 2008 new qualitative research has been carried out with focus groups of residents. In focus sessions in two Dutch neighbourhoods residents were asked what incentives are needed for them to participate actively in sustainability. These results are compared with a recently performed rapid survey of Dutch eco-villages and a literature search on role-change to complete the picture. The conditions under which resident-groups will accept sustainable-energy programs are: they need to know what their financial benefits are before they will participate and they want to know the sustainability and reliability of the technical solutions offered. Strong push-factors are sustainability coupled motivations. Exiting pull-factors are improvement of the quality of life in neighbourhoods, of which green space is one of the most important issues. Then they will accept initiatives, group initiatives. Although their level of self management may be viable, they need help from the Real-Estate professionals, also Government can help to fasten the process by facilitating these push- and pull-factors.