Post-renovation survey among Tartu pilot area: what do the residents think?

In early 2022, the University of Tartu along with the Tartu engagement working group organized a post-renovation survey among pilot area residents. A similar survey was carried out before the renovation in 2018 to understand the residents’ demographic profiles, attitudes towards renovation and willingness to invest, and their interest in the project. The follow-up post-renovation survey was created to understand the impact of the SmartEnCity project on the pilot area and what has changed in the five years. 129 residents responded to the follow-up survey. 

All in all, the survey shows a positive impact in the pilot area. While the residents’ satisfaction with their electricity bills has slightly increased (from 45% to 57%), then satisfaction with heating bills has improved drastically – before reconstruction, only 9% of residents were satisfied, while as now the percentage is 72. A majority of the respondents (78%) believes that renovation was a good undertaking and not a single respondent would choose to go back to living in an un-renovated house. 83% of the residents are rather satisfied or very satisfied with the appearance of their renovated house. 

The smart home system has been overall well received with half of the residents feeling satisfied with it, although its main function of monitoring consumption is used by only a third of the respondents. Most use it to regulate temperature (64%) or for learning the date, time, and weather (50%). This lower-than-expected take-up can be explained by delays in the development and some residents’ continued skepticism of using smart technologies. 

About a third of the respondents have been actively participating in various engagement activities, e.g. at information events (35%), and most have received SmartEnCity information materials in their mailbox (70%). The residents’ awareness of energy-efficient solutions has also improved: after the renovation, many such solutions (e.g. insulating buildings, energy-efficient windows, renewable energy production) are considered much more topical for achieving energy efficiency, most likely due to personal experience and a better understanding of their benefits. 

It can be concluded that the project has had a considerable impact on reducing consumption in the pilot area, integrating renewable energy sources, and raising the awareness of residents.

Results of the post-renovation survey among residents of Tartu pilot area.