Commercial Building Owners and Managers Will Invest Nearly $960 Billion in Energy Efficiency Retrofits from 2014-2023

Payback periods remain a critical factor for decision-makers on retrofit projects, report finds

Because the existing building stock dwarfs the amount of building space that is added on an annual basis, retrofits are a critical pathway to greening the world’s commercial buildings.  Regulations and policy measures, technological advances, and cost reductions are all driving increased investment in energy efficiency retrofits.  Click to tweet: According to a recent report from Navigant Research, cumulative investment in commercial building energy efficiency retrofits will total $959 billion from 2014 through 2023. 

“Led by the Asia Pacific region, the global market for energy efficiency commercial building retrofits is expected to grow at more than 7 percent a year through 2023,” says Eric Bloom, principal research analyst with Navigant Research.  “While government mandates play an important part in driving this growth, many retrofit projects are being undertaken on a voluntary basis, as corporate sustainability initiatives spread.”

The payback periods for energy efficiency retrofit projects are slowly decreasing, according to the report, but they remain a critical factor for most building owners and managers.  Tolerance for longer payback periods varies both by region and by building owner category.  Only 15 percent of all energy efficiency retrofits are initiated with increased energy efficiency as the primary motivator, the report concludes.

The report, “Energy Efficiency Retrofits for Commercial and Public Buildings”, examines the global market opportunity for energy efficiency retrofits in eight different commercial and public building types.  It analyzes the key market and technology issues related to energy efficiency retrofits, with a focus on the following product and service types: HVAC, lighting, controls, water efficiency, water heating, building envelope, power generation, commissioning, installation, and energy service companies (ESCOs).  Global market forecasts for revenue, segmented by region, product and service type, and building type, extend through 2023.  The report also assesses the demand drivers, business models, and standardization and regulatory factors related to energy efficiency commercial and public building retrofits and profiles the key industry players in this market.  An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.

Source: Navigant