The uneven price impact of energy efficiency ratings on housing segments and implications for public policy and private markets

In the literature, there is extensive, although in some cases inconclusive, evidence on the impact of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) on housing prices. Nonetheless, the question of whether such an impact is homogenous across residential segments remains highly unexplored. This paper addresses...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Marmolejo Duarte, Carlos Ramiro|||0000-0001-7051-7337, Chen, Ai
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/129529
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/129529
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11020372
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Real property -- Valuation -- Spain -- Barcelona Metropolitan Area
Buildings -- Energy conservation -- Spain -- Barcelona Metropolitan Area
EPC impact
Residential prices
Energy labeling
Housing market segments
Barcelona
Béns immobles -- Valoració -- Catalunya -- Barcelona (Àrea metropolitana)
Edificis -- Estalvi d'energia -- Catalunya -- Barcelona (Àrea metropolitana)
Habitatges -- Estalvi d'energia -- Catalunya -- Barcelona (Àrea metropolitana)
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Arquitectura::Arquitectura sostenible
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Urbanisme
Descripción
Sumario:In the literature, there is extensive, although in some cases inconclusive, evidence on the impact of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) on housing prices. Nonetheless, the question of whether such an impact is homogenous across residential segments remains highly unexplored. This paper addresses this latter issue utilizing multifamily listing data in metropolitan Barcelona. In doing so, first the entire sample is analyzed using a hedonic model. Second, the sample is split on the basis of a multivariate segmentation. Finally, separated hedonic models are specified again. The results suggest that in general, there is a modest impact of EPC ratings on listing prices, nonetheless it is not homogeneous across housing segments: (1) for the most modern apartments, with state-of-the-art features and active environmental comfort, energy ratings seem to play a null role in the formation of prices; (2) conversely, for the cheapest apartments, apartments boasting the most basic features, and apartments located in low-income areas, the “brown discount” is enormously significant, potentially depreciating the equity of those who have the least resources to carry out an energy retrofit. These results have implications for the assessment of the EPBD and its Spanish transposition, since a very well-intentioned environmental policy could have potentially harmful social repercussions in the absence of corrective measures.