Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the landscape of home energy financing in the United States, identifying barriers to scaling both traditional and nontraditional lending products. It argues that the ease of origination and the timing of home improvements are more significant drivers of consumer choice than interest rates or loan terms.

This briefing by RMI discusses how energy efficiency upgrades, specifically attic insulation, can increase home resale value and provide additional benefits in terms of operational cost savings, health, and comfort. It references data from Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors to demonstrate that certain energy projects offer higher returns on investment than typical home remodeling projects.

This fact sheet describes on-bill financing as a mechanism to eliminate upfront costs for residential energy efficiency improvements by providing low-interest loans repaid through monthly utility bills. It distinguishes between tariff-based systems, which tie costs to the meter and can address landlord-tenant split incentives, and on-bill loans, which typically function as non-transferable personal or business loans. The document highlights a pilot program in South Carolina that achieved significant energy savings through whole-house retrofits.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and DIW Berlin presents findings from a survey of 78 thermal retrofitting practitioners to inform the German government's debate on tax incentives for residential building retrofits. The study evaluates the effectiveness of comprehensive versus single-measure retrofits, the appropriateness of the KfW 85 energy standard, the necessary timeframes for project completion, and the risks associated with stepwise implementation.

The RMI guide 'Top 10 Ways To Get RetroFit On Energy Efficiency In 2012' provides a list of ten practical strategies for improving energy efficiency in commercial and residential buildings, emphasizing deep retrofits, behavioral changes, and the use of emerging financing models.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the policies and decision-making processes surrounding the thermal efficiency retrofit of residential buildings in Germany. It outlines the government's goal to reduce primary energy demand in buildings by 80% by 2050 and examines the barriers and levers—including information tools, financial incentives, and contractor certification—needed to increase both the rate and depth of retrofits.

This report, based on a study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) at DIW Berlin, evaluates the effectiveness of the energy performance certificate (Energieausweis) in influencing home-buying decisions in Germany. Based on a survey of 662 home buyers, the report finds that while the certificate is widely known, it currently has a low impact on purchase decisions due to poor communication of ancillary costs, low availability during the selection process, and the low priority buyers place on energy efficiency compared to other property features.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) maps the policy landscape for thermal energy efficiency in Germany's residential building sector. It categorizes policies into financial instruments, information tools, and performance standards, analyzing how they interact to drive energy demand reductions. The document details specific federal programs, their objectives, and their estimated impacts on building owners and contractors.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) reviews information instruments designed to promote energy efficiency retrofits in the residential building stock, with a primary focus on Germany and supporting evidence from international case studies. The document categorizes these tools based on the stage of the homeowner's decision-making process: moving uninterested households toward consideration, assisting those in the planning phase, and training the professionals who implement the retrofits.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the decision-making process of 2,000 German owners of single- and two-family houses regarding thermal efficiency retrofits. The study categorizes households into non-planning, planning, and action stages to identify how motivations, financial barriers, and information sources evolve throughout the process. Key findings highlight that while building appearance is a primary initial trigger, financial concerns and the desire for thermal comfort and energy savings become more prominent as households move toward implementation.

This 2011 briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the economic feasibility and financial requirements for achieving the German government's energy concept goals for residential building renovations. The report focuses on the costs of comprehensive renovations, the subsidies needed to increase the renovation rate to 2%, and the resulting energy savings.

This working paper by WRI India and TIDE examines the potential for demand aggregation to implement clean energy measures in ten apartment complexes in Bengaluru. The study identifies significant opportunities for energy efficiency (EE) and rooftop solar (RTS) in common areas, while highlighting institutional and policy barriers that hinder adoption.