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Green signalling effects in the market for energy-efficient residential buildings

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Oikarinen, E 
Harjunen, O 

Abstract

Empirical evidence from recent studies suggests that the price premium on energy-efficient buildings is potentially higher than the pure capitalisation of energy savings but the empirical evidence on the size of the non-savings components is scant. This study aims to fill this research gap by investigating whether the mandatory energy efficiency ratings for residential properties imply benefits that go beyond energy savings. Using a sample of several thousand apartment transactions from Helsinki, Finland, we first test if higher ratings were significantly associated with higher prices. In addition to a large number of property and neighbourhood characteristics, this dataset contains information on building-level energy usage which allows us to distinguish between the cost savings effect of energy consumption and the value of more intangible factors associated with the energy label. The hedonic model yields a statistically significant 3.3% price premium for apartments in the top three energy-efficiency categories and 1.5% when a set of detailed neighbourhood characteristics are included. When maintenance costs containing energy usage costs are added, a robust and significant price premium of 1.3% persists whereas no differentiation is found for the medium and lower rating categories. These findings may be indicative of energy-efficient buildings having signalling value – and therefore an additional incentive to invest in such buildings – for ‘green’ consumers. However, a favourable energy rating did not appear to speed up the sales process in the analysed market.

Description

Keywords

Housing, Signalling value, Energy efficiency, Energy performance rating, Hedonic pricing, Time on market

Journal Title

Applied Energy

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0306-2619
1872-9118

Volume Title

180

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
RICS Research Trust, Turku School of Economics Support Foundation, Academy of Finland, Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation, KIINKO Foundation, Cambridge University Land Society (CULS)