Factors Influencing Residents’ Intention toward Green Retrofitting of Existing Residential Buildings

Abstract

The green retrofitting of existing residential buildings is an important approach to realise the sustainable development of stock buildings. In addition to the new technologies and materials related to green retrofitting, the intention of residents toward the green retrofitting of existing residential buildings must be understood. However, the factors affecting such intentions are still unclear. Hence, this study refers to the extended theory of planed behaviour and constructs a theoretical model of the intention toward the green retrofitting of existing residential buildings. On the basis of the data from 507 questionnaires collected from eastern and western China, the theoretical model is tested via structural equation modelling (SEM). Multigroup SEM is used to analyse the differences in population characteristics and the intention of residents toward the green retrofitting of existing residential buildings in residential areas. Research results reveal the following: (1) the most important factors affecting residents’ intention toward green retrofitting are policy factors, followed by cognition of green retrofitting, behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control; (2) policy factors not only directly affect residents’ intention toward green retrofitting but also indirectly affect their intention toward existing residential green retrofitting through perceived behavioural control; (3) residents’ cognition of green retrofitting exerts no significant direct impact on their intention toward green retrofitting, but it does indirectly affect their intention toward green retrofitting through behaviour and subjective norms; (4) behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control have direct and significant influences on intention toward green retrofitting; (5) demographic characteristics (gender, age, monthly family income, education level, and occupation) and regional variables (east and west) present significant differences in different influence paths. The conclusion of the study provides a targeted path reference for the promotion of the green retrofitting of existing residential buildings.