Enhancement of industry initiative through the Zero-energy Mass Custom Home Mission to Japan experience towards commercialisation

Abstract

In response to growing global warming issues and increasing energy prices, house-builders today are becoming keener on the delivery of zero energy sustainable homes than ever. Nevertheless, their business operation still tends to develop into routine in view of their close system mode of operation. In 2006, to stimulate the industry, knowledge transfer study visits to Japanese net zero energy cost mass custom housing manufacturers were initiated. The educational event was later called 'Zero-energy Mass Custom Home Mission to Japan' and was resumed in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Consequently, three industry participants were transformed successfully from conventional housing suppliers to early adopters of net zero energy/carbon-emission homebuilders in their local contexts. This study demonstrates the gravity of the mission's execution that was aimed at putting the theory of organisational buying behaviour into practice in order to develop a way to change the nature of the homebuilding industry towards the delivery of zero energy mass custom homes of the future.