Sustainable Urban Energy Policy

Heat and the city

David Hawkey, Janette Webb, Heather Lovell, David McCrone, Margaret Tingey, Mark Winskel

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781317577065
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Sustainable Development
• Index: Economics

Minimising the most severe risks of climate change means ending societal dependence on fossil fuels, and radically improving the efficiency with which we use all energy sources. Such deliberate transformative change is, however, without precedent.

Sustainable Urban Energy Policy debates the major public issue of developing a sustainable, clean and affordable energy system by adopting a distinctive focus on heating in cities. In this way, the book constructs an original account of clean energy policy, politics and provision, grounded in new empirical data derived from case studies of urban and multi-level governance of sustainable heat and energy saving in the UK and Europe. Offering an original conceptual framework, this study builds on socio-technical studies, economic and urban sociology, human geography, applied economics and policy studies in order to understand energy governance and systemic change in energy provisions.

This book is a valuable resource for students and academics in the areas of Science and Technology Studies, Sociology, Geography (Urban Studies) and Political Economy as well as energy policy makers, social housing providers and energy practitioners.

Debates about the future of energy systems often focus on electricity, and pay insufficient attention to the energy we use as heat in homes and businesses. This book is an exception. It is a valuable resource for anyone wishing to understand the organisational, economic and policy challenges of implementing more sustainable heat infrastructures in cities.

– Jim Watson, Director, UK Energy Research Centre

Two essential yet under-recognised truths about climate and energy leap out from this thoughtful and timely book. First, that there can be no sustainable energy system without a fundamental shift in the way we heat and cool our buildings and second, that despite its global implications, the battle for climate change will be fought not in the hallowed halls of the United Nations but house by house and street by street in cities around the world.

– Paul Voss, Managing Director, EuroHeat and Power, Brussels.

An original, well-researched and authoritative analysis, characteristic of the authors, and a crucial read for anyone seeking to understand the current provision of heat in the UK. With an unprecedented transformation of the UK energy system occurring, this book provides insights based on practical international experience of the history, cultural differences, political processes and power relations that will drive those changes.

– Mike Colechin, UK Energy Technologies Institute

Conceptually rich and empirically engaging, Sustainable Urban Energy Policy opens up the largely taken for granted provision of heat in the city to critical inquiry and provides new insights into the politically and socially contested nature of low carbon transitions. Essential reading for researchers and policy makers alike.

– Harriet Bulkeley, University of Durham, UK

Sustainable Urban Energy Policy provides an excellent critical and comparative analysis of the obduracy of existing heating systems and the remarkable difficulties of transforming these into sustainable heat networks. Although the technologies of sustainable heating are well understood, this book powerfully demonstrates that social and political issues explain why the alternatives are not implemented at scale in the city. If you want to properly understand why more effective intervention is crucial to realise the wider societal and environmental potential of metropolitan wide heat networks then read this book.

– Simon Marvin, Director of the Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, UK

Sustainable Urban Energy Policy

Heat and the city

David Hawkey, Janette Webb, Heather Lovell, David McCrone, Margaret Tingey and Mark Winskel

First published 2016

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge

605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

© 2016 David Hawkey, Janette Webb, Heather Lovell, David McCrone, Margaret Tingey and Mark Winskel

The right of David Hawkey, Janette Webb, Heather Lovell, David McCrone, Margaret Tingey and Mark Winskel to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data

Hawkey, David, author.

Sustainable urban energy policy : heat and the city / David Hawkey, Janette Webb, Heather Lovell, David McCrone, Margaret Tingey and Mark Winskel.

pages cm.

1. Sustainable urban development–Great Britain. 2. Heating from central stations–Great Britain. 3. Heating–Climatic factors–Great Britain. 4. Urban policy–Environmental aspects–Great Britain. 5. Energy policy–Environmental aspects–Great Britain. I. Title.

HT169.G7H39 2016

307.1′4160941–dc23 2015023816

ISBN: 978-1-138-82609-0 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-138-82612-0 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-73953-3 (ebk)

DOI: 10.4324/9781315739533

Typeset in Bembo

by Out of House Publishing

In Memory of Dr Stewart Russell 1955-2011.

Stewart’s collegiality and extensive knowledge of energy policy and politics are greatly missed.

CONTENTS

• List of figures
• List of tables
• List of boxes
• Acknowledgements
• Part I Overview
  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 Social studies of technology, energy systems and modern societies David Hawkey and Janette Webb
• Part II Policy and politics for sustainable heat
  • 3 European heat policies and practices David Hawkey
  • 4 From optimisation to diversity: changing scenarios of heating for buildings in the UK Mark Winskel
  • 5 Implementation of district heating policy in the UK David Hawkey
• Part III Cities and urban centres: resources, expertise and sustainability challenges
  • 6 Business models for district heating networks: economics, finance and risk David Hawkey and Janette Webb
  • 7 Urban energy governance for sustainable heat in UK cities: expectations, practices and potential Janette Webb
  • 8 Assessing local government engagement in energy systems development in the UK and its likely trajectories Margaret Tingey, David Hawkey and Janette Webb
• Part IV Affordable and sustainable warmth for housing
  • 9 Paying for energy: understandings of home, well-being and affordable warmth David McCrone
  • 10 The surprising outcomes of UK energy and climate policy: zero carbon housing targets and the emerging opportunities for district heating Heather Lovell
• Part V Conclusion
  • 11 Solutions? Cities and carbon innovation: coordination for sustainable heat
• Index

FIGURES

• 2.1 Evolution of the relationship between combined electricity generation and imports, and Gross Domestic Product in the UK
• 4.1 A strategic vision for UK buildi...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Frontmatter 1
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• List of boxes
• Acknowledgements
• Part I Overview
• Part II Policy and politics for sustainable heat
• Part III Cities and urban centres: resources, expertise and sustainability challenges
• Part IV Affordable and sustainable warmth for housing
• Part V Conclusion
• Index