Abstract:
While the authorities in many countries around the world launched green retrofit programs to upgrade the
existing mature buildings during the past decade, limited was known about the residents' perceptions of
those programs. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the residents' perceptions of the green retrofit
programs in Singapore, which is one of the leading countries for green development, and to explore their
willingness in extending green retrofit into their individual houses. A questionnaire was administered to 90
residents from a mature public residential estate in Singapore that just underwent a pilot green retrofit
program. The results reported that 86 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the green retrofit
program, and their most favourite green feature installed was the outdoor light emitting diode lighting. In
addition, over 50 percent of the respondents were supportive of having their individual houses undergo
green retrofit and were willing to bear an upfront cost up to SGD 5,000 (approximately USD 3,540). This
study also found that achieving cost savings from lower utility bills in the long run was the top motivation
that drives the residents to retrofit their houses. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by
conducting a thorough investigation of residents’ perceptions of green retrofit programs. Furthermore, the
findings from this study provide the industry and the authorities running green retrofit programs with the
opportunities to reveal respondents’ preferences on different green features, and to upgrade their green
retrofit programs accordingly, creating more sustainable benefits for the residents.
