Context-Driven Factors for Implementing Energy Efficiency Retrofit in a Portfolio of Buildings: Fid-Bau Portal

Context-Driven Factors for Implementing Energy Efficiency Retrofit in a Portfolio of Buildings

Medal, Lysandra / Kim, Amy

Renovating existing buildings to become more energy efficient is critical not only for energy sustainability but it also provides financial benefits and can improve the well-being of occupants. Nevertheless, the current energy efficiency efforts in the building sector are insufficient for decision making in a portfolio of buildings. Despite the growing literature, the context-driven reasons for decision-makers to undertake or to neglect energy efficiency retrofits are still not well understood. The goal of this empirical study is to present the motivations and challenges that influence energy efficiency investment decisions for existing buildings in varying contexts when evaluated towards multiple buildings. The study entails a literature review and a descriptive analysis of 283 survey data by facility management professionals across the United States (U.S.). The study seeks to understand how the building physical, functional, and social contexts may differently impact retrofit decisions. In general, the survey results indicate that the key drivers and barriers to implementing energy efficiency retrofit are related to economic feasibility and technical practicality. When the data were examined based on contexts, the analysis revealed that building physical, functional, and social contexts in this case study did not significantly influence the ranking of the three most important factors. The outcome of this research will help policymakers and experts understand the barriers that need to be addressed, as the study indicates that the identified factors could be generalized to a different group of buildings regardless of the contexts. Developing effective intervention strategies should focus on better economic incentives for a shorter payback period to make more attractive returns and reduce operational costs. Additionally, the availability of affordable and compatible technologies will encourage the energy efficiency retrofit investment during the maintenance period.