Visual Ethnographic Research ‘Een Warme Transitie’
The shift towards new, sustainable heating technologies—such as heat pumps or ‘warmtenetten’—is in full swing. This heat transition is often approached from technical and financial perspectives: costs, efficiency, and returns. But how do residents actually experience this change at home? Does their sense of comfort shift? And does a new way of heating influence their everyday routines? The project ‘Een Warme Transitie‘ (A Warm Transition), conducted by Erasmus University Rotterdam (ESSB), explores precisely this human dimension of the energy transition.
Heat as a Social Practice
Just like cooking or showering, heating is not a purely technical act, but a socially embedded practice: it is intertwined with daily routines, feelings of comfort, use of space, and personal habits. How people engage with heat in the home is therefore much more than just choosing a thermostat setting.
In this research, we analyse the sensory and emotional aspects of the shift to new heating technologies: how do people experience this transformation in their homes, which routines are disrupted, what emotions come into play in decision-making? And what influences whether or not a new technology is embraced?
Research Design
Een Warme Transitie runs from January 2024 to September 2025 and is funded by the Erasmus Trust Fund. This qualitative research combines semi-structured interviews with observations and audiovisual methods. The study is conducted by Guusje Meeuwissen and Jeltje van der Haer, and supervised by Dr. Suzan Christiaanse and Prof. Arwin van Buuren.
During the research, we speak with residents about the everyday impact of new heating technologies, as well as with installers, housing corporations, professionals, and policymakers. By bringing together these perspectives, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of how policy and implementation can better align with the lived experiences of households.
Societal Impact
The outcomes of this research will be shared through both a scientific publication and a short documentary. Through audiovisual methods, we aim to make the sensory, affective, and social dimensions of the heat transition visible and tangible—dimensions often overlooked in policy documents and technical reports. The documentary not only offers a more embodied perspective on the heat transition, but also serves as a catalyst for public debate. In doing so, we hope to reach a broader audience—from residents to installers, policymakers, and other professionals. Ultimately, the research aims to contribute to policy and governance approaches that place the everyday realities of residents at their core.
Do you have questions? Please get in touch with Guusje Meeuwissen via meeuwissen@essb.eur.nl.
