From collective to individual decision-making: barriers and opportunities to improve the success rate of the energy retrofits in the Dutch owner-occupied sector

The building sector can contribute considerably to reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the Netherlands, the GHG emissions must be mitigated by 95% by 2050 relative to the 1990 baseline. Various factors, such as low renovation rates cause uncertainties in reaching these targets. The current study aims for investigating the barriers...

Application of cumulative prospect theory in understanding energy retrofit decision: A study of homeowners in the Netherlands

Retrofitting residential buildings can help mitigate the effects of climate change. Cognitive biases are systematic deviations from rationality in decision making and can lead to inaction, delay, and uncertain decisions. Understanding the cognitive biases involved in residential renovation decisions and developing interventions to overcome...

Municipal governance and energy retrofitting of owner-occupied homes in the Netherlands

The building sector is responsible for more than one-third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Netherlands has set an ambitious target to reduce GHG emissions by 95% by 2050 compared to the 1990 baseline. Several factors, such as low retrofitting rates, lead to uncertainties in achieving these targets. In the residential sector, the...

Identification of the behavioural factors in the decision-making processes of the energy efficiency renovations: Dutch homeowners

Over half of all residential buildings in the Netherlands are owner-occupied. In this study, the influence of behavioural factors on individual decisions toward energy efficiency renovations (EERs) was investigated. This study focused on contextual (e.g. building characteristics), personal (e.g. awareness of energy consumption), and...

Transaction costs as a barrier in the renovation decision-making process: A study of homeowners in the Netherlands

The renovation of housing stock in the Netherlands has the potential to help achieving the country's climate change targets. However, there are non-monetary Transaction Cost (TC) factors, such as searching for information and finding a reliable professional/contractor, that present barriers to householders when making the decision to renovate...

Unravelling Dutch homeowners’ behaviour towards energy efficiency renovations: What drives and hinders their decision-making?

The housing stock has a considerable share of 40% in energy consumption and 36% of CO ₂ emissions in the EU. In accordance to energy efficiency and emissions targets set by EU, The Netherlands has aimed to renovate 300,000 homes each year, leading to 50% reduction in CO ₂ emissions, by 2050. Many factors including low...

Homeowners' decisions towards energy renovations -critical stages and sources of information

The European Commission aims to decrease GHG emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 (EU, 2017). The housing stock has a considerable share that equals to 40% of energy consumption and 36% of emissions in the EU. The current research aims to evaluate the homeowners' energy renovation decisions on the exterior, interior, and insulation...

Analysing the energy efficiency renovation rates in the Dutch residential sector

The housing stock has a major share in energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the Netherlands. CO2 emissions increased 2.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018. Higher CO2 emissions were principally due to raised gas consumption for heating in the residential and service sector¹. Energy efficiency renovations can contribute...