According to the "Comprehensive Work Program of Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction" of the Chinese government, during the period of the "11th Five-Year Plan", 1.5 x 10(8) m(2) of existing residential buildings in China's northern heating region are to be retrofitted for energy efficiency. However, at present, this "Energy Efficiency Retrofit for Existing Residential Buildings" (EERFERB) faces many obstacles. Under the current working and market system, both the central and local governments and the energy supply companies can not push on this work smoothly. Using both the results of the annual national special inspection of building energy efficiency and some case analyses, this paper examines the necessity for energy efficiency retrofit, along with the relationships among the various Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL) factors affecting it. Furthermore, organizational, financial and technical support systems are explored to promote the development of retrofit. Finally, some primary principles to be followed toward the implementation of EERFERB are suggested. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
