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Retrofit effectiveness: Evidence from a nationwide residential energy efficiency programme

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  • Coyne, Bryan
  • Denny, Eleanor

Abstract

Buildings in the EU are responsible for 40% of energy use, with approximately 75% of buildings classed as energy inefficient. Many energy efficiency technologies have failed to deliver on the promised savings. This paper measures the extent to which residential dwelling retrofit delivers real energy savings in Ireland using a unique dataset of whole-home energy use (n = 8,572 households) over a two-year period. It is one of the largest studies of retrofit using whole-home energy data for a general housing sample, who do not disproportionately experience fuel poverty. It uses whole-home energy data to capture potential fuel switching induced by retrofit. Finally, this study addresses concerns regarding self-selection issues associated with the decision to undergo a retrofit by comparing with a second control group of homes that received a retrofit prior to the observation period.

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  • Coyne, Bryan & Denny, Eleanor, 2021. "Retrofit effectiveness: Evidence from a nationwide residential energy efficiency programme," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:159:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521004468
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112576
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Considine, Brian & Liu, Ying & McNabola, Aonghus, 2024. "Energy savings potential and life cycle costs of deep energy retrofits in buildings with and without habitable style loft attic conversions: A case study of Irelands residential sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    2. Matthew, Chris, 2024. "The multiple benefits of current and potential energy efficiency policies: A Scottish islands case study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    3. Gnekpe, Christian & Tchuente, Dieudonné & Nyawa, Serge & Dey, Prasanta Kumar, 2024. "Energy Performance of Building Refurbishments: Predictive and Prescriptive AI-based Machine Learning Approaches," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).

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