Homeowners as Engaged Participants: Determining information needs to maximize the environmental benefit of green renovations

Green home renovation is a socio-technical process involving homeowners and professionals. Homeowners undertaking a green renovation encounter unfamiliar terms and must navigate potentially conflicting information from different sources. These challenges prevent some homeowners from being fully engaged in the renovation process, which can lead to less than optimal homeowner satisfaction and failure to use green features to their greatest extent. This paper details the information requirements of homeowners, drawing on seven interviews that were conducted with those who have done a green home renovation. We put forward suggestions that can be used to improve the green home design process, contributing to higher uptake, more satisfied homeowners, and more environmentally friendly use of renovated homes. We also conclude that there is a need for homeowners to be contributors to the knowledge base surrounding green renovations. Finally, we propose a model for an ICT platform to satisfy the needs identified in our research.