Table 3 Theme 3 Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) priority questions.
Question no. | Agreed SSH priority question |
|---|---|
31 | How do energy efficiency policies (e.g., energy pricing policies) affect everyday life for different groups, especially vulnerable groups and different gender identities? |
32 | How do different households and social groups understand energy efficiency and energy sufficiency in relation to their everyday lives and practices? |
33 | What are the emerging (disruptive) energy efficiency technologies that might significantly transform the ways people live and work? |
34 | What are the relationships between widespread uptake of energy efficiency improvements and changes in social practices of production and consumption? |
35 | How do new sociotechnical configurations of energy generation, and evolving systems of provision, relate to energy efficiency programmes; for example, what, if any, are the consequences of community-based energy schemes? |
36 | How do new technological energy efficiency measures interact with practices and infrastructures in consumers’ everyday lives; and how are citizen values, relationships, and institutions reshaped by these technological changes? |
37 | What unanticipated challenges and poor outcomes arise from a lack of ‘fit’ between new initiatives or technologies with everyday lives and practices; and how can these be addressed? |
38 | What are the roles of personal, cultural and site-specific factors in the success or failure of energy efficiency initiatives? |
39 | How can participatory design and co-creation approaches contribute to the development of energy efficiency solutions that work with, rather than against, practices in everyday settings? |
40 | What are the user profiles (time-use and electricity use) of energy ‘efficient’ appliances in real life; what rebound effects or unintended consequences are associated with these; and how can evidence on these inform better governance? |
41 | How is thermal comfort perception related to physiological, psychological and social influences; and how could understanding of these relationships help to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption in everyday life? |
42 | What insights do the Humanities provide about how to create ‘cultures of energy efficiency’ that go beyond the usual dominant focus on consumer choices and ethical concerns? |
43 | What are the conditions that facilitate the acceptance and pursuit of energy sufficiency (e.g., living in smaller spaces, avoiding mobility, reducing consumption) over energy efficiency; and how can these conditions be scaled-up across society? |
44 | How are energy efficiency and sufficiency affected by changes to everyday life through ongoing processes of digitalisation (including, e.g., smart technologies, artificial intelligence and big data); and how do digital tools designed to improve energy efficiency and sufficiency interact with everyday practices? |
