Drivers of and barriers to energy renovation in residential buildings in Spain—the challenge of next generation EU funds for existing buildings

The aim of this research was to analyze the drivers and barriers facing the agents involved in the energy renovation process and the effective use of existing subsidies for this purpose. The drive for energy renovation in buildings is undeniable. European policies aiming to completely decarbonize the economy by 2050 will give an important boost to the building sector in Europe by improving comfort conditions in renovated homes. In this study, a questionnaire was developed using the free software LimeSurvey, which was then evaluated by experts. The questionnaire included representative indicators of energy refurbishment and was segmented into the intervening groups to highlight their differences. The results were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test for group comparisons and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess the relationships between the responses. This analysis reveals the complexity of a process, in which excessive bureaucratic requirements to obtain Next Generation EU funds, economic aspects (80%) and owners’ lack of awareness are the barriers that were most highlighted by those surveyed (77%). In terms of motivation, we found that, apart from economic savings (88%), the most valued aspect for users was noise insulation (93%), which is not directly related to energy improvement. This study highlights the lack of knowledge and information that the agents responsible for this change have about energy improvement and their differences in opinions on motivations and barriers.