Improving energy efficient refurbishment of private homes

With energy efficient modernizations home owners can reduce the energy consumption of their buildings significantly. Although appropriate technology is available, just one third of the economically profitable energy saving potentials are being realised. In the last couple of years a number of political initiatives and instruments addressed activities towards improving the energy efficiency performance of homes. In cooperation with the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW) and the Ökoinstitut Südtirol the ISOE on behalf of the dena – Deutsche Energie-Agentur – has explored how energy efficient modernization of single homes and duplexes might be supported. Based on a survey of available studies, the ISOE investigated the specific needs of private home owners providing a framework to assess existing funding programs and to foster the development of funding and communication oriented strategies.

Despite poor energy performance, energy efficient modernization of homes is progressing slowly. In the year 2000 about 80% of the existing building stock in Germany did not meet contemporary energy standards. Each year less than one percent of old buildings are being renovated. Furthermore, modernizations measures are applied inefficiently. Studies have shown that on average just one third of the economic viable saving potentials through modernization are being realised.

Within the last years a number of political initiatives and instruments addressed activities concerning building efficiency and modernization. Despite these efforts to date a significant increase in energy efficient modernization of homes has not been achieved. Reasons for the low modernization rate are on the one hand a lack in transparency in the housing market as well as insufficient incentives for investments. On the other hand, poor information and little interest with many home owners play a significant role

Therefore, measures to support energy efficient modernizations of homes should not focus on technical and economic aspects alone. They must also target the specific needs of home owners, taking in particular life situation and motivational factors towards the home into account.

In cooperation with the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW) and the Ökoinstitut Südtirol the ISOE on behalf of the DENA developed a framework for a demand oriented approach towards energy efficient building modernization of private homes and duplexes.

The project has an integrated approach, taking legal and financial instruments as well as communication oriented measures into account. Main focus, however was on the improvement of funding programs and the development of targeted communication and information campaigns. for the home owner market.

In a preliminary study the ISOE explored the needs of private home owners, drawing on literature research and a secondary analysis of a social empirical survey. As a result, a set of criteria was established to assess existing legal and funding instruments. The findings gave also a basis for the development of communication and marketing strategies. Beyond that the preliminary study provided research hypothesis for a follow up investigation which is to examine the attitudes and needs of home owners in an empirical survey.

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Improving energy efficient refurbishment of private homes