A systematic review of strategies for overcoming the barriers to energy-efficient technologies in buildings

The energy used to construct, operate and eventually demolish buildings has accounted for 40% of total energy used globally and 9% of the world's greenhouse emissions. When examining major energy consumers such as Europe or the United States, the amounts of energy used for buildings is even higher. The use of energy-efficient technologies (EETs), such as low-energy windows and programmable thermostats, have had many positive results, including long-term energy reductions, a healthier living environment, the creation of jobs, and better quality housing. Unfortunately, there continue to be barriers to the use of EETs. While there are dozens of strategies for overcoming these barriers, many have gotten overlooked or lost. This paper provides a review of the literature that has focused on barriers to the use of EETs and strategies for overcoming these barriers. The method used for identifying relevant literature was a systematic search of scholarly publications addressing barriers and/or strategies for EET use. A theoretical framework is presented as a means of organizing the literature. The framework includes three broad groups of barriers: knowledge of EETs, access to EETs, and desire to use EETs. Strategies for overcoming the barriers are likewise organized and described.