Optimization of Housing Retrofit Policies: A Perspective of Homeowners’ Motivations

The chapter delves into the critical issue of optimizing housing retrofit policies in China, with a particular focus on understanding the motivations of homeowners for energy-efficient renovations. It begins by contextualizing the pressing need for these policies due to global warming and China's significant carbon emissions. The study then reviews China's existing policies for energy-efficient retrofits, highlighting the regional and temporal evolution of these initiatives. A methodological approach is outlined, including a literature review that underscores the importance of understanding motivations to drive energy-saving behaviors. The core of the chapter presents the results of a questionnaire survey, revealing a multifaceted set of motivations among Chinese homeowners, ranging from economic considerations and improved living quality to environmental preservation and social identification. The implications of these findings are discussed, offering targeted policy recommendations to better align with homeowners' motivations. These recommendations include promoting advanced technologies, enhancing residential comfort, and creating a supportive atmosphere for energy conservation. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the need for more tailored policies that address the diverse motivations of homeowners, setting the stage for future research to further classify and investigate these motivations.