Description
Decision-making in the residential apartment building sector is one of the main obstacles, why apartment building renovation is not happening so actively in Latvia. This is important not only in the context of a potential housing crisis, but also because the renovation can make a significant contribution to climate change reduction: on average 30% of the total energy consumption is related to households, this is the biggest consumer of energy. It is necessary to put emphasis on a comprehensive and in depth study of apartment buildings sector, combining social and environmental engineering research methods. The aim of the study is to develop specific recommendations to policy makers in order to improve and facilitate the decision-making process model in the multifamily residential buildings population in the pre-renovation period. In addition, project aims to carry out an analysis about the use of contracts for the renovation process between citizens and service providers, or renovation implementers, the investments made and the results achieved in this agreement. In order to achieve the goals, the project will be carried out through the following main activities: conducting interviews, coding and analyzing transcripts, energy consumption monitoring data analysis, report preparation and publicity events. Main project target groups are residents of standard apartment buildings and policy makers. Project partner from Norway is Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Networking. Partner has experience in natural resource management by giving consultations in various countries as well as experience in anthropology science. This partner will give invaluable contribution by sharing its knowledge and experience with all involved experts and researchers in those activities within the project which are interconnected with developing methodology, gathering and analysis of qualitative data and writing the final report.
Summary of project results
The aim of this study was to develop specific recommendations and to provide evidence to policy makers, municipalities and project developers, to achieve active comprehensive multi-family building renovations in Latvia. To achieve this, a comprehensive and in-depth study of multi-family buildings sector, combining social and environmental engineering research methods was made. Study answers to the following questions: 1. How to motivate Latvian people to renovate their homes so that the exploitation creates the least possible impact on climate change. 2. Which business models are in the best interests of the residents, and what climate change-reducing (energy-saving) package of measures to introduce to multi-family buildings to achieve maximum GHG emission reductions. To achieve this goal, the project’s workflow was summarized as follows: conducting interviews with residents, analyzing energy consumption monitoring data and data about implemented measures in the building, research report preparation and organizing local information events to collect feedback and integrate these in future research. Study focuses on how to organize and implement renovation of Soviet Era multi-family buildings in Latvia more effectively. Towards this, and prior to implementing any actual large-scale renovation activities, it was deemed necessary to better understand the views and situation of the various relevant stakeholders, as located in public sector, private sector and in civil society. The most important of these stakeholders are the residents in multi-family buildings which were covered in the study, together with the in multi-family building informally elected House Elder. This final scientific research addresses an extensive literature review of relevant secondary sources, partly international and more context related, and partly Latvian sources, the research report analyses the data collected by means of the survey, conclusions from the analysis pertain how to organize and implement renovations and advice on how to do renovations. Main conclusions shows that factors improving perception of renovation are personal benefit from the renovation – cultural context of Latvian individualism, belief in delayed reward outweighing the investment and shared values between residents.
Summary of bilateral results
A project partner from Norway - The Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Network participated in the project activities and gave suggestions for improvements. Partner has experience in natural resource management by giving consultations in various countries as well as experience in anthropology science. Partner gave a contribution by sharing its knowledge and experience with all involved experts and researchers in those activities within the project which were interconnected with developing methodology, gathering and analysis of qualitative data and writing the final report. The major goal was to encourage best practice exchange.