Perceived Benefits of Energy Efficiency in the Spanish Residential Market and Their Relation to Sociodemographic and Living Conditions

View/Open
Document typeArticle
Defense date2021-01-19
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Rights accessOpen Access
Except where otherwise noted, content on this work
is licensed under a Creative Commons license
:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Spain
Abstract
Within the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive information symmetry regarding financial and environmental benefits, coming from real estate performance, is a key element in the promotion of efficient buildings. However, the link between energy efficiency and its perceived co-benefits is far from perfect in EU countries with a short trajectory in the promotion of such residential attributes, endangering the efficacy of information-symmetry policies. Using a large survey applied to sellers, buyers, lessors and tenants this paper explores, in Spain, the perceived co-benefits in terms of energy savings and thermal comfort of efficient homes and whether such perception correlates to current living conditions, housing tenure and sociodemographic profile of respondents. Results suggest that in general such co-benefits are present in the mind of the main agents of the housing market. However, their perception is far from being homogeneous, it is clearer in the case of households whose current home is poorly insulated or inadequately serviced in terms of thermal active systems. Sociodemographic conditions also play a role in co-benefits perceptions: Elder, wealthier and landlords, irrespective of whether they act as sellers, buyers or lessors, do perceive to a larger extent the co-benefits of efficient homes. Such findings signal clear paths for the improvement of energy and housing policy.
CitationCrespo, E. [et al.]. Perceived Benefits of Energy Efficiency in the Spanish Residential Market and Their Relation to Sociodemographic and Living Conditions. "Applied sciences", 19 Gener 2021, vol. 11, núm. 2, p. 1-22.
ISSN2076-3417
Publisher versionhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/875
Collections
Files | Description | Size | Format | View |
---|---|---|---|---|
applsci-11-00875-v2.pdf | 1,922Mb | View/Open |