ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 660

performance buildings’ cost effect has led some major players and potential clients to lose interest in investing in such energy savings projects. Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE)
2011 has conducted a survey to highlight the main barriers in this field, which are classified into
four categories; financial, administrative and institutional, public awareness and skills, and the
expenditure and benefit’s separation barrier.
Financial Barriers
Financial aspects are considered among the highest-ranking barriers in most countries. Understanding the related issues to financing is crucial for proposing practical policy alternatives. Figure 4 shows the common barriers in the EU as were published in BPIE report 2011.

Figure 4: Financial barriers (adopted from BPIE 2011)
Moreover, in the Environmental Defense Fund Report (EDF 2011), and through a detailed explanation of the related issues, the importance of having greater involvement of financial organizations
as well as the different investors in the energy saving field was clearly noted; all in which will help
to harness the greater potentials in energy saving in the existing built environment.
Administrative Barriers
According to BPIE survey, this category was the third most important barrier in retrofitting existing buildings, however, it comes second in terms of priority. This category includes several subcategories as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Administrative and institutional barriers (adopted from BPIE 2011)

658

ZEMCH 2015 | International Conference | Bari - Lecce, Italy