Improving energy efficiency in Vietnamese tube houses: A survey of sustainable challenges and potentials

PurposeRefurbishing houses is considered a key measure to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment. However, little is known about the implementation and outcome of housing renovation for energy upgrades in the Vietnamese practice. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the energy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Smart and sustainable built environment 2019-11, Vol.8 (5), p.366-390
Main Authors: Nguyen, Phan Anh, Bokel, Regina, van den Dobbelsteen, Andy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affordable housing
Building design
Building envelopes
Built environment
Construction
Design
Economic reform
Energy conservation
Energy consumption
Energy efficiency
Energy industry
Environmental performance
Green buildings
Households
Houses
Housing
Housing developments
Indoor environments
Polls & surveys
Public buildings
Refurbishment
Residential areas
Residential energy
Urban environments
Water conservation
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Summary:PurposeRefurbishing houses is considered a key measure to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment. However, little is known about the implementation and outcome of housing renovation for energy upgrades in the Vietnamese practice. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the energy performance of the current housing stock in Vietnam and the potential to reduce energy use in households.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a survey with 153 respondents in three major climatic regions of Vietnam. The survey focusses on building characteristics, environmental performance, energy performance and refurbishment activities. Data collected from the survey were statistically analysed to give insight into the current performance of the housing stock and its energy saving potential.FindingsThis paper concludes that building design and construction, particularly the building envelope, have a significant influence on the occupants’ comfort. However, the energy consumption in houses is not statistically associated with building design and indoor environment. It is suggested that financial status and occupants’ behaviour currently have a strong influence on the household energy use. The survey also showed that refurbishment improves the housing performance, especially if improving the indoor environment was one of the drivers.Originality/valueThere are very few studies on energy use in households in Vietnam, especially with regards to actual energy consumption. This paper brings insights into the actual energy consumption and reveals the “performance gap” in Vietnamese housing stock.
ISSN:2046-6099
2046-6102
DOI:10.1108/SASBE-01-2018-0002