Carbon and energy performance of housing: a model and toolset for policy development applied to a local authority housing stock

The area of strategy formulation for energy and carbon performance of housing is coming under increasing focus. A model has been developed based on simulation results aligned with knowledge of the housing stock which can be used to calculate energy, carbon and cost results from a reduced number of input parameters. The context of the model can be varied to reflect different climates and patterns of use. The model is embedded in a user friendly java tool which can be used to give results for a dwelling or the housing stock of an organisation, region or country. It is possible to investigate the effect of housing upgrade options, future building regulations, climates, patterns of use, renewable energy systems etc. and support formulation of future policy. In this paper the tool is briefly described and an example given showing its application to a local authority rented housing stock.