Neighbourhood-level energy retrofits driven by intermediary actors: what are the prospects?

Abstract

Energy retrofits of existing buildings are one of the current priorities to tackle climate issues. A potential way of boosting the currently low rates of retrofitting could be by pursuing neighbourhood-scale retrofitting approaches. However, the existing literature does not offer a comprehensive analysis of neighbourhood-scale retrofitting and the role of intermediaries in it. Therefore, this research aims to determine the prospects of neighbourhood-level retrofitting driven by intermediary actors based on an extensive literature review, whereby: (1) state of the art, opportunities and challenges of neighbourhood-level retrofitting are presented; (2) intermediaries that serve as facilitators of retrofitting and the business models under which they operate are discussed; (3) governance of existing neighbourhood-level renovation projects are investigated. As a result, this study determines the key characteristics of neighbourhood-level retrofitting. Moreover, we suggest differentiating between intermediaries primarily engaged in intermediation and those who take on the roles aside from their main activities (e.g. municipality). Finally, the findings indicate that although many authors highlight the benefits of neighbourhood-scale retrofitting, they are hindered by the complex governance of engaged stakeholders. Intermediaries that could serve as facilitators and coordinators of these projects are still not very prominent in the actual pilots of neighbourhood-level retrofitting.