Drivers of and Barriers to Energy Renovation in Residential Buildings in Spain—The Challenge of Next Generation EU Funds for Existing Buildings

Abstract

The aim of this research was to analyze the drivers and barriers facing the agents involved in the energy renovation process and the effective use of existing subsidies for this purpose. The drive for energy renovation in buildings is undeniable. European policies aiming to completely decarbonize the economy by 2050 will give an important boost to the building sector in Europe by improving comfort conditions in renovated homes. In this study, a questionnaire was developed using the free software LimeSurvey, which was then evaluated by experts. The questionnaire included representative indicators of energy refurbishment and was segmented into the intervening groups to highlight their differences. The results were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test for group comparisons and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess the relationships between the responses. This analysis reveals the complexity of a process, in which excessive bureaucratic requirements to obtain Next Generation EU funds, economic aspects (80%) and owners’ lack of awareness are the barriers that were most highlighted by those surveyed (77%). In terms of motivation, we found that, apart from economic savings (88%), the most valued aspect for users was noise insulation (93%), which is not directly related to energy improvement. This study highlights the lack of knowledge and information that the agents responsible for this change have about energy improvement and their differences in opinions on motivations and barriers.

Investigating Energy Renovation of Multi-Owner Buildings and Real Estate Market Issues in a Degraded Greek Urban Area

“…or prestige; preserving the environment; and economics [38,39]. However, the benefits that interest homeowners may not be energy-related; they may ultimately be financial [29,39].…”

“…or prestige; preserving the environment; and economics [38,39]. However, the benefits that interest homeowners may not be energy-related; they may ultimately be financial [29,39]. High costs are required to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings to the level of new ones.…”

“…From the owner's point of view, an array of factors influences the decision making of a project. Systematic literature reviews point out the complexity of the decision process for the energy retrofitting of dwellings: functional requirements and the quality of living; aspiration related to aesthetics, lifestyle, social status, or prestige; preserving the environment; and economics [38,39]. However, the benefits that interest homeowners may not be energy-related; they may ultimately be financial [29,39].…”

“…Systematic literature reviews point out the complexity of the decision process for the energy retrofitting of dwellings: functional requirements and the quality of living; aspiration related to aesthetics, lifestyle, social status, or prestige; preserving the environment; and economics [38,39]. However, the benefits that interest homeowners may not be energy-related; they may ultimately be financial [29,39]. High costs are required to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings to the level of new ones.…”

Semiautomated Primary Layout Definition with a Point Cloud for Building-Envelope Renovation

“…There is general agreement among all stakeholders involved in these processes that there is a need to improve the efficiency of these processes by incorporating automation and improving safety [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Significant challenges remain in the area of building renovation based on prefabricated modules [8]. The requirement for mass customization is still present [9], but at present, manual processes using prefabricated modules are still more effective, affordable, and practical [10].…”