Impacts of and relationships between benefits of residential building net zero carbon retrofits

Purpose Net Zero carbon (NZC) retrofitting of existing residential buildings is a valuable solution to lower carbon emissions from prevailing residential buildings. While previous studies have identified the benefits of NZC retrofitting, they fail to identify the impacts of the benefits on NZC retrofitting and how the benefits interact with one another. This study aims to (1) identify and rank the benefits of residential building NZC retrofitting, (2) investigate the impacts of the benefits on NZC retrofitting and (3) examine the relationships between the benefits. Design/methodology/approach This study followed a quantitative approach to evaluate the perspectives of building occupants. Accordingly, the study used mean score ranking, factor analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to rank, group and assess the interrelationship among the benefits of residential building NZC retrofitting. Findings The results of quantitative analysis indicate that “lower building maintenance costs” is the most significant benefit, while social benefits, environmental benefits, and economic benefits are the underlying groupings of benefits. The results of PLS-SEM showed that economic and environmental benefits significantly impacted achieving NZC residential buildings. Originality/value This study, the first of its kind in the NZC domain, offers insights into residential building NZC retrofitting. The model indicating the relationship between benefits would deliver an in-depth interpretation of the impact of benefits for residential building NZC retrofitting, which would be highly beneficial in promoting a zero-emission built environment.