Serial retrofitting as a bottom-up innovation for sustainability: Application of the multi-level perspective

Abstract

Serial retrofitting represents a crucial advancement in urban sustainability, addressing cost increases, resource constraints, and labour shortages within the building sector. “Energiesprong Deutschland”, coordinated by the German Energy Agency (dena), is a pioneering initiative for the retrofitting of 1950s–1970s multi-family housing through cost- and time-efficient solutions utilising industrial prefabrication and standardised components. Within the study, the role of serial retrofitting as a transformative innovation within the energy transition is assessed using Geels’ multi-level perspective, examining its establishment and potential for future system change within the context of the “Great Transformation”. The analysis reveals six interdependent feedback loops governing diffusion dynamics: performance monitoring, scalability dynamics, financial maturation, market co-evolution, market acceptance, and social acceptance. Serial retrofitting remains positioned within the early diffusion phase of the multi-level perspective framework. The study identifies three targeted intervention pathways: regulatory harmonisation, cultural transformation within the construction sector and innovative financing mechanisms. To expedite regime reconfiguration, various measures are required at political, institutional, social, cultural, research, and market levels. Serial retrofitting offers a future-oriented solution for transforming the building sector in alignment with the political agenda. By combining integrated technical, economic, and social efforts, it promises significant contributions to the decarbonisation and sustainable development of the building stock.