The One-Stop Shop Business Model for Improving Building Energy Efficiency: Analysis and Applications

Due to the significant contribution of the building stock to total greenhouse gas emissions, policies and measures have been focused on efficiency improvement and renovation works of old and outdated buildings. Those measures are often shaped as subsidies, tax rebates, and other economic incentives for the building owner. In turn, that has stimulated the rise and development of innovative business models meant to exploit the opportunities offered by incentive policies. This research aims to analyze the “One-stop shop” business model, which is among the most used in building redevelopment. It is based on the assumption that the customer interfaces with a single contractor, usually an Energy Service Company, which takes care entirely of the efficiency improvement works, acting as the proponent and guarantor of all the interventions. Here, the “One-stop shop” business model’s primary features are derived through a case study analysis focused on refurbishment projects carried out in Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The case studies are analyzed using the Rough Set approach. By identifying meaningful, well-defined clusters and sometimes vague and fuzzy subsets of the case studies, the significant relationships among their characteristics are highlighted. Major results are as follows. Concerning the business models, Energy Service Companies are not overrepresented, while construction firms are important players, too. Furthermore, incentive measures are used in nearly half the case studies, especially in France. Concerning the renovation works, they mostly feature replacing the heating system, adding insulation layers to the building envelope, and installing a mechanical extract ventilation system.