Meeting the United Kingdom's CO2 emissions reduction targets: the role of energy efficiency in residential buildings.

This paper examines the contribution that energy efficiency in residential buildings can make towards meeting the UK government' s commitment to reduce the country's C02 emissions by 20% relative to 1990 levels by the year 2010. It is based on work carried out by the authors and their colleagues, funded by the UK Electricity Association. Following a bottom-up modelling approach, the technological options available for use in residential buildings in the UK have been assessed. The potential they offer for avoiding carbon emissions in the year 2010 and the lifetime cost per tonne of carbon avoided for each option implemented are used to identify key options on which policy activity could be focused. Possible policy measures are discussed, as are the investment levels which would be required to implement them. A potential strategy for accessing the technical potential in this sector is then defined, and the impact on total national carbon dioxide emissions quantified. The potential role of government, utilities and other private sector organisations is considered. The results are discussed with reference to the technical potential and associated costs for emissions reductions identified for other energy end-use sectors, and also the potential for changes in energy use behaviour. The results from the study are compared with those from other recent UK studies. From this discussion, some preliminary suggestions are made for the role which may be played by energy efficiency investment in residential buildings.