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 School of Geography and the Environment

Dr Kathryn Janda

Katy Janda

Position:

Senior Researcher: Social and technical dimensions of changing building practices

Contact:

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Member:

ECI Energy Research Theme

Profile

Kathryn Janda is an interdisciplinary scholar and a senior researcher for the UK Energy Research Centre. Her role is to integrate social and technical dimensions of changing building practices for a lower carbon future.

Research Interests

Katy has studied the interface between social and technical systems in the built environment since 1990 and is particularly interested in why different social groups decide to promote or reject environmental technologies. Social groups she has studied include: building designers, environmental advocates, and building users. Technical systems she studies include energy-efficiency techniques and green building strategies. Her research encompasses three principal areas:

  1. Social dimensions of energy use
  2. Social, economic and environmental implications of ecological design;
  3. The relationship between environmental technology adoption and organizational decision-making.

Katy also leads the Worldwide Status of Energy Standards for Buildings project, an investigation of the worldwide status of energy standards for buildings in more than 80 countries linked to the legal status and building sector coverage of the standards in different countries. Read more.

Background

Katy earned undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering and English literature from Brown University and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California at Berkeley. She has worked in the Energy Analysis Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Environmental Policy Fellow in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program. Prior to joining the ECI, she held a position as assistant professor of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College for five years, where she pursued her research interests and taught courses such as energy production and consumption; fundamentals of building performance; environment and society; a practicum on ecological design; solar music; dynamics of consumption; and qualitative research methods

Selected Publications

  • Janda, K. B. 2011 Buildings Don't Use Energy: People Do. Architectural Science Review 54 (1):15-22.
  • Bulkeley, H., H. Schroeder, K. B. Janda, et al. 2011. "The Role of Institutions, Governance and Planning for Mitigation and Adaptation by Cities." In Cities and Climate Change: Responding to an Urgent Agenda, edited by D. Hoornweg, M. Frire, M. Lee, P. Bhada and B. Yuen. Washington DC: World Bank. pp. 68-88.
  • Parag, Y. and K. B. Janda. 2010. A Middle-out Approach to Agency, Capacity, and Societal Change. In Proceedings of the 8th British Institute of Energy Economics Academic Conference, September 22-23, 2010 (Oxford, UK). BIEE.
  • Janda, K. B., and G. Killip. 2010. "Building Expertise: A System of Professions Approach to Low-Carbon Practice." In Proceedings of EASST 2010: Practicing Science and Technology, Performing the Social, Sept. 1-4, 2010 (Trento, Italy). European Association for the Study of Science and Technology.
  • Janda, K. B., and G. Killip. 2010. Building Expertise: A System of Professions Approach to Low-Carbon Refurbishment. In Proceedings of ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, August 15-20, 2010 (Asilomar, CA). Vol. 10, pp. 114-126. American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.
  • Janda, K. B., and G. Killip. 2010. "Building Expertise: Renovation as Professional Innovation." In Proceedings of Constructing Green: Sustainability and the Places We Inhabit, May 20-22, 2010 (Ann Arbor MI). University of Michigan. [In review as chapter in edited volume published by MIT Press.]
  • Parag, Y., & K. B. Janda. 2010. "Midstream and Sideways: Considering a Middle-Out Approach to Changing Energy Demand." In Proceedings of Energy Transitions in an Interdependent World, February 25-26, 2010 (Brighton, UK). University of Sussex.
  • Janda, K. B. 2009. Buildings Don't Use Energy: People Do." In Proceedings of the International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture (PLEA), June 22-24, 2009 (Québec, Canada), pp. 9-14. Les Presses de l'Université Laval. ISBN 978-2-7637-8939-2.
  • Janda, K. B. 2009. "Exploring the social dimensions of energy use: a review of recent research initiatives." In Proceedings of the ECEEE Summer Study, June 1-6, 2009 (Colle Sur Loop, France). Vol. 4, pp. 1841-1852. European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
  • Janda, K. B. 2009. "Worldwide Status of Energy Standards for Buildings: A 2009 Update." In Proceedings of the ECEEE Summer Study, June 1-6, 2009 (Colle Sur Loop, France). Vol. 1, pp. 485-491. European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
  • Bulkeley, H., Schroeder, H., Janda, K., Zhao, J., Armstrong, A., Chu, Shu Yi, and Ghosh, S. 2009. Cities and Climate Change: The role of institutions, governance and urban planning. Commissioned paper for World Bank Urban Symposium on Climate Change 2009 Marseille, France (June 28-30, 2009).
  • Janda, K. B. 2008. Implications of Ownership in the U.S. and U.K.: An Exploration of ENERGY STAR? Buildings & the Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme." In Proceedings of the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, August 17-22, 2008 (Asilomar, CA), pp. 7:156-167. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
  • Janda, K. B. 2008. Worldwide Status of Energy Standards for Buildings: A 2008 Update. In proceedings of Fifth Annual Improving Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings (IEECB). Frankfurt, Germany. April 9-10.
  • Janda, K. B. 2008. "Overview of Energy Standards for Buildings." Background report and presentation for "United Nations Forum on Energy Efficiency and Energy Security for Sustainable Development: Taking Collaborative Action on Climate Change" 17-18 December 2007 (Seoul, Republic of Korea)
  • Janda, Kathryn B. 2007. "Turning Solar Consumers Into Solar Citizens: Strategies For Wise Energy Use." In Solar 2007, Proceedings of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Annual Meeting, July 8-13, 2007. (Cleveland, OH)
  • Petersen, J. E., Shunturov, V., Janda, K., Platt, G., & Weinberger, K. 2007. "Dormitory residents reduce electricity consumption when exposed to real-time visual feedback and incentives." International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 8(1), 16-33.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. 2006. "The Eleventh Event: Public Perceptions of the Solar Decathlon." In Solar 2006, Proceedings of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), July 8-13, 2006.
  • Allen, D. and Kathryn B. Janda. 2006. "The Effects of Household Characteristics and Energy Use Consciousness on the Effectiveness of Real-Time Energy Use Feedback: A Pilot Study." In Proceedings of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 2006 Summer Study. Volume 7, "Human and Social Dimensions of Energy Use" ACEEE: Washington DC
  • Janda, Kathryn B. 2006. Three "tips" in 147 Tips for Teaching Sustainability: Integrating Environmental, Economic, and Social Dimensions. William M. Timpson, Brian Dunbar, Gailmarie Kimmel, Brett Bruyere, Peter Newman, and Richard Gilliland (eds). Atwood Publishing: Madison, WI.
  • Janda, Kathryn B., M. Roth, and J. Petersen. 2005. "Is More Solar Always Better?" In Solar 2005, Proceedings of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) Solar World Congress in Orlando (August 8-12 2005).
  • Merrett, S. and K. Janda. 2005. "Waste=Fuel: Affordable Biodiesel For Healthy Communities" In Solar 2005, Proceedings of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) Solar World Congress in Orlando (August 8-12 2005).
  • Janda, Kathryn B., and Alexandra von Meier. 2005. "Theory, Practice, and Proof: Learning from ‘Buildings that Teach.’" In Sustainable Architectures: Critical Explorations of Green Building Practices in Europe and North America, Simon Guy and Steven A. Moore, Eds. Routledge/Spon Press. pp. 31-50.
  • Janda, K. 2004. "Beyond Architecture: Real Buildings, Real People." In Solar 2004 Proceedings of the American Solar Energy Society Annual meetings. pp. 663-668
  • Janda, Kathryn B., C Payne, R Kunkle, and L. Lutzenhiser. 2002. "What Organizations Did (and Didn't) Do: Three Factors that Shaped Conservation Responses to California's 2001 "Crisis"." In Proceedings of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 2002 Summer Study. Volume 8, "Human and Social Dimensions of Energy Use: Understanding Markets and Demand" ACEEE: Washington DC. pp. 8.117-8.128.
  • Lutzenhiser, L., K. Janda, R. Kunkle, and C. Payne. 2002. Understanding the Response of Commercial and Institutional Organizations to the California Energy Crisis, California Energy Commission Project Report 400-02-018C. July 24, 2002.
  • Janda, Kathryn.B. 2002. "Improving Efficiency: A Socio-Technical Approach," in Technology Studies & Sustainable Development, A. Jamison and H. Rohracher, Editors. Profil Verlag GmbH: München, Wien. p. 343-364.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. and K. Johnson. 2001 "Renewable Energy and ENERGY STAR®: Current Status and Future Opportunities." In Proceedings of the American Solar Energy Society 2001 Annual Meeting. April 21-25, 2001: Washington D.C.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. and S. Brodsky. 2000. "Implications of Ownership: An Exploration of the Class of 1999 ENERGY STAR Buildings." In Proceedings of the ACEEE 2000 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Volume 8. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Washington, D.C.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. 1999. "Re-Inscribing Design Work: Architects, Engineers, and Efficiency Advocates," in Proceedings of the European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 1999 Summer Study - Energy Efficiency and CO2 Reduction: the Dimensions of the Social Challenge. Volume 2, Panel Three, Paper 11: Mandelieu, France.
  • Lutzenhiser, L., and Kathryn Janda. 1999. "Residential New Construction: Market Transformation Research Needs." Report to the California Institute for Energy Efficiency.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. 1998. "Building Change: Effects of Professional Culture and Organizational Context on Energy Efficiency Adoption in Buildings." Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California at Berkeley.
  • Janda, Kathryn. B. 1998. "Building Change: Characteristics of Design Firms and Their Effect on Energy Efficiency Adoption." in Proceedings of the 1998 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Volume 8, Information Technologies, Consumer Behavior, and Non-Energy Benefits: 8.193-8.202. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Washington, D.C.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. 1996. "Designing from Experience: the Effects of Research on Practice," in Proceedings of the ACEEE 1996 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Volume 6, Program Evaluation: 6.89-96. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Washington, D.C.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. 1994. "Bounded Decision Making and Analytical Biases in Demand Side Management," in Proceedings of the ACEEE 1994 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Volume 1, Human Dimensions of Energy Consumption: 1.75-1.83. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Washington, D.C. (Also published as Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Report #LBL-36523)
  • Piette, Mary Ann, Rick Diamond, Bruce Nordman, Odon de Buen, Jeff Harris, Kristin Heinemeier, and Kathryn Janda. 1994. "Final Report on the Energy Edge Impact Evaluation of 28 New, Low-Energy Commercial Buildings." LBL-33708. August 1994. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory: Berkeley, CA.
  • Janda, Kathryn B. and John F. Busch. 1993. "Worldwide Status of Energy Standards for Buildings", in Energy—the International Journal 19:1 (27-44).

Other Professional Activities and Affiliations

Katy has served on numerous U.S. national committees, including:

  • Steering committee for the joint U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Association of State University and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) Curriculum Development Workshop for High Performance Buildings.
  • Technical Review Committee for Solar 2007, the American Solar Energy Society’s annual meeting.
  • Program Committee for Greenbuild 2005, the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual conference.
  • Panel leader in 2002 and 2006 on social dimensions of energy use for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s biennial week-long Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.

In addition to her committee work, she directed an Agents of Change Regional Training Workshop in 2003, judged the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) 2002 Earth Awards, and served as a National Academy of Sciences judge for the 2007 Environmental Protection Agency’s "People, Prosperity, and the Planet" Awards. She peer reviews papers for Energy Policy; Energy and Buildings; The International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, Science Technology and Human Values; the Journal of Sustainable Engineering, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Katy’s professional work has been enriched by memberships in the following societies and associations: