Understanding residential fuel combustion challenge—real world study in Wroclaw, Poland

Abstract

High emission linked with residential combustion for heating purposes is a pressing challenge for most cities in Poland. There are multiple uncertainties linked with the development of economically feasible and socially acceptable strategies for transition towards environmentally friendly domestic heating systems. Local municipalities lack basic inventories of heating systems in use or evaluation of the performance of retrofit buildings. Attitudes towards the planned changes are unknown. A field research that attempts to close this gap is presented. A novel approach based on building performance evaluation experience used multiple data sources and mixed research methods to learn about the heating in 422 occupied dwellings in Wroclaw, Poland. The research covered an urban quarter of historic tenements. The share of different heating systems, that is, solid fuel-based, gas, electric and district heating was established. An insight into the factors underpinning inhabitants’ attitudes towards heating their homes and potential change resulting from solid fuel ban implementation was gained. New themes emerged from the study revealing key areas of concern for solid fuel burning households, for example, thermal comfort and mould issues, fuel transport issues and high operational cost of water heating. None of these themes is present in current narrative advocating change. The majority of solid fuel burning households (86%) interviewed proved to be willing to change their heating system. This suggests the key barrier to change in this building typology is not down to negative social attitudes but other constraints discussed in the paper. Conclusions include recommendations for future studies aimed at estimating the scope of challenge linked with solid fuel bans in domestic sector and change in narrative aimed at convincing households to swap solid fuel combustion for other options.