Matching and managing demand, behaviour and expectation for carbon reduction

By Dominique Cannavina

Supervisors:

Professor Michael Pitt

Peter McLennan

2013-2020 (pt)

This project asks the overall question as to whether modifying occupants’ behaviour and stakeholders’ expectations, combined with matching energy demand to availability of supply, a more pragmatic approach to achieving the 2050 carbon targets in the NHS (England)?

Facilities Management (FM) in the NHS will have to adopt ever-stringent energy efficiency techniques across the built environment if it is to meet 2050 carbon targets. This will be against a backdrop of increasing demand on M&E services due to projected increases in the number of users (patients), and the increases in energy required for thermal comfort - to mitigate the projected effect of climate change on the built environment.

As behavioural, psychological and physiological adaptation of occupants to their environment play a significant part in the quantity of energy used and therefore carbon produced, the research will seek to quantify ‘causes in behaviour’ and ‘effect on energy’ consumption. From this the research will seek to produce a usable metric that can be employed by FM to reduce carbon emissions. Thus the research will look to develop the framework for a combined strategy of user engagement and more intelligent use of controls to allow the NHS to achieve the 2050 carbon targets.