Reuse of brownfield land to alleviate fuel poverty

Description of impact

Identified potential significance of reusing brownfield land in urban areas to alleviate fuel poverty, publishing first academic paper on this topic (brownfield land versus fuel poverty), as evidenced by Scopus screenshot on 15-9-17 after article acceptance but before publication.

Who is affected

The fuel poor, especially those living in social housing

Narrative

Brownfield land is a legacy of industrial retraction in many towns and cities worldwide, where land can remain vacant long after it has gone into disuse. The presence of derelict or vacant land is often seen as a barrier to redevelopment. Using this land for renewable energy generation is one option that can support development of a low carbon economy as well as stimulate regeneration. Fuel poverty, defined as high energy costs relative to end user income, is an increasingly pertinent social issue due to rising renewable energy costs. This is particularly true for space heating, since this accounts for nearly half of all the energy consumed in N European climates like the UK’s, so addressing fuel poverty has become a key consideration in Scotland’s internationally leading renewables policy. This article considers how deployment of renewables on
brownfield land can be targeted towards addressing heat poverty in social housing. Using Glasgow as a case study, the quantity of available derelict land is first calculated, then the spatial association of social housing and urban brownfield land is demonstrated. Technology options for meeting the requirements of heat-poor households from brownfield land are presented, including scenarios using vertical or horizontal ground source heat pump arrays. The results suggest that the available urban land could easily supply the needs of all households in fuel poverty, if this scale of investment and nonmarket
intervention was justified.

Impact status	Closed
Category of impact	!!Social impacts, Environment and sustainability - natural world and built environment, Health and welfare - new products, guidelines and services, Quality of life and safety
Impact level	Engagement