Energy epidemiology: a new approach to end-use energy demand research

The call for action to transform the built environment and address the threats of climate change has clearly made. However, to support the development, implementation and on-going evaluation of demand policy, a strong evidence base is needed to identify associations and establish causes behind outcomes and variations in end-use energy demand within the population. new approach to end-use energy demand research is presented which is founded on the health sciences research framework of epidemiology, along with the establishment of research centre. A case is made that through an ‘energy epidemiology’ approach a strong, -level, empirically based research foundation can be advanced. Energy epidemiology is a -system approach that focuses on empirical research and provides a methodological framework building physicists, engineers, sociologists and economists to engage in interdisciplinary work. adaptation of the epidemiological approach to end-use energy demand studies will provide the to observe and describe the trends and patterns of energy demand, to undertake and interventional studies, and to establish strong associations between factors that lead to energy demand-related outcome or event. Such an approach would strengthen the evidence base to policy decisions and evaluate past intervention programmes or regulatory actions.