Determinants for energy-efficient housing adoption – a scoping review for owner-occupants in Germany

Abstract

The sustainability goals of the European Union require countries to reduce carbon-emissioning energy demand significantly. As “housing” is responsible for substantial CO2 emissions, societies must increase the energy-efficient housing adoption rate. We use a scoping review as a methodology to identify the determinants for energy-efficient housing adoption of owner-occupants in Germany. Based on two separate search quests with the search engine EBSCO, we find 55 manuscripts primarily for economic/financial (i.e., subsidies and taxes) and regulatory (i.e., certifications and labels) determinants, followed by technological (i.e., innovation), demographic (i.e., household composition), as well as historical and cultural determinants. Policymakers hold owner-occupants accountable for the ambitious energy and climate goals. As we expect rising costs during the transition to net zero energy, we emphasize that policymakers should consider homeowners' social and economic situation and not overburden them in the fight against climate change, especially not with a “one-size-fits-it-all-approach”. The regulator must encourage individuals to independently exceed the minimum standards for energy-efficient investments.