Working with Information, Creation of Knowledge, and Energy strategy Deployment (WICKED) in Non-Domestic Buildings

Innovative energy saving measures in non-domestic buildings- e.g., enhanced information due to sensors and meters; better management due to controls; and more efficient lights and HVAC equipment -could save 18 MtCO2 by 2020 and 86 MtCO2 by 2050, depending upon the rate at which the measures can be deployed. The deployment of energy efficiency technologies and management techniques depends on the physical conditions present in the existing building stock, as well as the ownership characteristics and management practices in each building. That is, adopting better technologies and practices depends on what fits, where, and for whom.

The Working with Infrastructure, Creation of Knowledge, and Energy strategies Deployment (WICKED) project uses a segmented socio-technical approach to work with and learn from different configurations of building energy data and ownership in the existing UK non-domestic stock. The project develops and implements the concepts of "data rich" and "data poor" to identify and map energy-related technical and organizational infrastructure, as well as barriers to and opportunities for change. Top-down analytics on large anonymized non-domestic data sets from energy provider partners will be combined with middle-out case studies of landlord and tenant fleets and bottom-up empirical work in SME buildings, focused predominantly on the retail sector. The project will use this information to engage with and co-create appropriate knowledge for different types and scales of stakeholders: owners, occupiers, landlords, tenants, and energy providers. Through this knowledge and interaction, the project enables adoption of energy efficiency technologies and management techniques appropriate for each stakeholder segment. Based on our findings, our project will develop an action toolbox oriented towards the different needs of different market segments. Indicative innovative products to emerge from this work are: online energy advisor backed up by large data sets, "smart-er" technologies to retrofit legacy gas and electric meters, new forms of leasing agreements, and effective energy management procedures tailored for different stakeholder groups.

Analyzing this complex landscape and its many opportunities and challenges requires a broad based, problem-directed and interdisciplinary approach. The University of Oxford academic team brings together expertise in social and technical aspects of energy demand (Dr. Kathryn Janda and Dr. Russell Layberry), information technologies (Dr. David Wallom), mathematics (Professor Peter Grindrod) engineering (Dr. Malcolm McCulloch), and law (Professor Susan Bright). Non-academic partners for this project are energy suppliers, retailers, local and national government stakeholders, landowners, tenants, and energy advice companies. These partners will leverage the EPSRC funding requested by the provision of data, management practices, lease agreements, test sites, and equipment.

It is increasingly well-understood that energy use in existing buildings is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Reductions in emissions on the scale required to stabilise the global climate cannot be achieved without major change in the patterns of energy use in the existing building stock. It is therefore clear that the low carbon refurbishment of existing buildings will play a key role in the energy transition required to deliver a low carbon energy system in the UK. In the coming decades, the pace and nature of low carbon refurbishment and the energy strategies that support them will have significant social, economic, and environmental impacts. Understanding the social and technological processes and constraints that affect the dynamics of change in non-domestic buildings is of critical national and global importance. WICKED's research contributes to this important goal.

Moreover, reducing energy demand in the non-domestic sector has economic, social, and political benefits for UK businesses and the public. The retail sector, on which our project focuses, contains some of the largest non-public employers in the UK. Reducing energy demand will improve competitiveness in this sector, thus providing continued employment opportunities in an overall climate of economic downturn. Importantly, our research design investigates the challenges facing both larger and smaller companies. It proposes solutions in the form of energy strategies and usable products tailored to varying needs of owner-occupiers, landlords, and tenants. This approach will assist the not just the financial health of major actors, but also support the continued diversity of smaller businesses. Supporting the diversity of the retail sector has positive benefits for the pubic by helping maintain both traditional retail experiences (e.g., city centres and local high streets) as well as their modern manifestations (e.g., superstores, malls, and retail parks). Our research will also assist energy providers in being able to better match their resources with customer needs through advanced mathematical analysis of large data sets, leading to more competitive rating schemes that will benefit both providers and customers. A further benefit of our research will be to the population of commercial landlords and tenants. In situations where reducing energy is advantageous for both landlords and tenants, our research will help turn adversarial relationships into cooperative ones. Although the immediate benefits of our research will accrue first to our research partners and direct participants, the generalizable results will be applicable across the sector. Ensuring these results are made available to all potential beneficiaries will occur through communications and engagement with the public sector, industry forums, and other academics interested in this issue area. Specific plans for WICKED's engagement with user groups are laid out in Pathways to Impact.