Indoor climate in renovated and energy retrofitted social housing

The need for energy retrofitting of the Danish single-family houses is massive, especially for the high proportion of single-family houses built in the 1960s and 1970s. But even though the potential benefits are many, only few families embark on a major energy retrofit. There may be many reasons for this. An obvious one may be limited knowledge of non-energy benefits, e.g. in relation to the indoor climate. The objective of this study was to explain this limited effort to save energy by identifying barriers and incentives among house owners in relation to energy retrofitting of one’s own house. Moreover, it was investigated among house owners, who had carried out energy retrofitting, whether a number of factors, including the perceived indoor climate, became better or worse after retrofitting. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 1,990 house owners in a municipality north of Copenhagen. It was found that energy consumption and indoor climate are ever more in focus when buying a house and important drivers for house owners’ motivation for retrofitting their existing house. Energy retrofitting is complicated and it is also experienced as such by many house owners. There is uncertainty as regards choice of solutions, economic savings and financing. Nonetheless, most house owners, who have carried out energy retrofitting, have had a positive experience both in relation to energy consumption and perceived indoor climate, e.g. by more comfortable room temperature, less draught nuisances and less risk of mould growth. Hence a strategy to increase the number of house owners who embark on energy retrofitting of their house should include the communication of non-energy benefits like improved indoor climate. In addition, the strategy must include help for the house owners to overcome barriers by helping them find the retrofitting solutions appropriate for their house and their economy.