How do apartment owners perceive and accept financing tools for collective energy renovations?

UGent researchers with expertise in sustainable behaviour conducted a study on the perception and acceptance of financing instruments for energy renovations in apartment buildings. The research was commissioned by the City of Ghent and conducted within the project ‘Fossielvrije appartementen’, which aims to support the transition towards fossil-free apartment buildings. 

The study focused on both owner-occupiers and landlords and explored how they perceive different financing instruments to pay for collective energy renovations in apartment buildings. Through a combination of in-depth interviews and surveys, the researchers investigated what influences apartment owners’ uptake of financing instruments for collective energy renovations. 

First, qualitative interviews were conducted with owner-occupiers and landlords to explore their perceptions of different financing instruments. These instruments were selected based on interviews with experts in the field of collective energy renovations. Second, the acceptance of the financing instruments was tested in a survey with 498 owner-occupiers. Lastly, a survey was conducted with 114 landlords to test the acceptance of financing instruments specifically relevant for landlords. 

The study was conducted by Sofie Naeyaert, Emma Martens, Verolien Cauberghe and Peter Conradie from the Department of Communication Sciences at Ghent University. The research was carried out in close collaboration with the City of Ghent and academic colleagues from the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Ghent University. 

Follow this link: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01KFFTG844SF67KEJSJ0TA215F to consult the report (in Dutch) or read the executive summary of alle studies here (in Dutch): http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01KFG1Y48KK7WSZTM3K7W3XMQ3