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Estimating the impact of energy efficiency on housing prices in Germany: Does regional disparity matter?

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  • Taruttis, Lisa
  • Weber, Christoph

Abstract

The German government is aiming for a climate-neutral building stock before 2050 to meet the defined goals of the Climate Action Plan 2050. Increasing the building stock's energy efficiency is therefore a high priority, and investments by private homeowners will greatly influence this, as around 46.5% of German homes are owner-occupied. To identify the possible monetary benefits of investments in energy retrofits, we investigate whether energy efficiency is reflected in the property values of German single-family homes. Therefore, we examine potential heterogeneous effects across regions. With 422,242 individual observations on a 1 km2-grid level from 2014 to 2018, this study adds to the extant literature by 1) examining the energy efficiency effect on housing values for the entire country and specifically investigating regional disparities in this context, and 2) estimating an energy efficiency value-to-cost ratio to compare housing values' increase with initial investment costs and future energy cost savings. Applying hedonic analysis, we find a positive relationship between energy efficiency and asking prices. If energy efficiency increases by 100 kWh/m2a, prices increase by 6.9% on average. We also find evidence for regional disparities. The effects are significantly weaker in large cities than in other urban areas, whereas the impact in rural regions is much stronger. According to this, housing shortage and higher purchasing power per capita were identified as drivers for low energy efficiency premiums. Finally, there is evidence that about 98% of future energy cost savings are already reflected in a higher housing value under myopic expectations regarding future energy prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Taruttis, Lisa & Weber, Christoph, 2022. "Estimating the impact of energy efficiency on housing prices in Germany: Does regional disparity matter?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:105:y:2022:i:c:s0140988321005958
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105750
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    2. Dalma Eszter Fekete & Eszter Baranyai, 2024. "Impact of the 2022 Energy Crisis on the Importance of Energy Performance Certificates for the Real Estate Market," Financial and Economic Review, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary), vol. 23(1), pages 106-134.
    3. Singhal, Puja & Sommer, Stephan & Kaestner, Kathrin & Pahle, Michael, 2023. "Split-incentives in energy efficiency investments? Evidence from rental housing," Ruhr Economic Papers 992, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Luiz de Mello, 2023. "Real Estate in a Post-Pandemic World: How Can Policies Make Housing More Enviromentally Sustainable and Affordable?," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 244(1), pages 111-139, March.
    5. Cespedes-Lopez, Maria-Francisca & Perez-Sanchez, V. Raul & Mora-Garcia, Raul-Tomas, 2022. "The influence of housing location on energy ratings price premium in Alicante, Spain," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    6. Kraschewski, Tobias & Brauner, Tim & Heumann, Maximilian & Breitner, Michael H., 2023. "Disentangle the price dispersion of residential solar photovoltaic systems: Evidence from Germany," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    7. Sieger, Lisa & Weber, Christoph, 2023. "Inefficient markets for energy efficiency? – The efficiency premium puzzle in the German rental housing market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    8. Michele Loberto & Alessandro Mistretta & Matteo Spuri, 2023. "The capitalization of energy labels into house prices. Evidence from Italy," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 818, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    9. Maria-Francisca Cespedes-Lopez & Raul-Tomas Mora-Garcia, 2022. "Are Cave Houses a Sustainable Real Estate Alternative?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Chaudhuri, Kausik & Huaccha, Gissell, 2023. "Who bears the energy cost? Local income deprivation and the household energy efficiency gap," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    11. Galvin, Ray, 2024. "The economic losses of energy-efficiency renovation of Germany's older dwellings: The size of the problem and the financial challenge it presents," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Energy efficiency; Residential buildings; Regional disparity; German housing market; Hedonic analysis; Housing value;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets

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