Transformative effectiveness of citizen science: 'Participate, co-research, put into practice?'

Citizen science has proven to be an effective tool for tackling environmental and social challenges. The EfficientCitizens project investigated how a peer-to-peer exchange of experiences can support energy-efficient building refurbishments in single-family homes. The aim of the study was to find out whether and under what conditions these exchange formats can reduce uncertainties regarding possible refurbishment measures and facilitate preparation for refurbishment steps. By involving citizens who had already gained renovation experience, a transformative learning process was created, the effects of which on the motivation and decision-making of the participants were analysed.