What Spanish households want: Insights into public acceptance of a novel energy renovation framework

The climate emergency and the objectives of the European Green Deal underscore the urgent need for building energy renovation, as buildings account for 40 % of energy consumption and 36 % of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. Key instruments, such as the Digital Building Logbook (DBL) and the Building Renovation Passport (BRP) for recording and assessing building information, and One-Stop Shops (OSS) for guiding and facilitating the phased energy renovation process, have been introduced through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directives (EPBD). Although specialized literature has identified a fundamental interconnection between the DBL and the BRP, there is still a lack of comprehensive studies analysing household perceptions and interest concerning the key characteristics of an interconnected DBL + BRP scheme. The study addresses this deficiency through a large-scale survey conducted in 14 Spanish cities, which are representative of diverse socioclimatic regions and varied sociodemographic factors. The data analysis employed multiple linear regression models and principal component analysis to investigate heterogeneous household preferences. The results reveal that the overall importance attributed to the DBL + BRP is closely correlated with the perceived value of OSS services, as well as with information policies and the perceived need for energy renovations. Three distinct preference profiles were identified, linked to socioeconomic factors, energy vulnerability and environmental attitudes. These findings highlight the need for a differentiated approach to instrument design and implementation, in which technical information is integrated with the human and logistical support provided by OSS and financial incentives.