Journal: Energy Efficiency

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Springer

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1570-646X
1570-6478

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Publications 1 - 10 of 14
  • Energy efficiency and the role of energy-related financial literacy: evidence from the European residential sector
    Item type: Journal Article
    Boogen, Nina; Cattaneo, Cristina; Filippini, Massimo; et al. (2021)
    Energy Efficiency
    In this paper, we analyze the level of efficiency in the use of electricity in the European residential sector relying on a cross-sectional data set comprised of 1375 households located in Italy, the Netherlands, andSwitzerland and observed in 2016. To do this, we estimate an electricity demand frontier function using astochastic frontier approach. The empirical results show that the residential sector in these three European countries could save approximately 20% of its total electricity consumption on average if it improves the level ofefficiency in the use of electricity. These figures are inline with recent studies for Switzerland and for the US residential sector. Moreover, we link energy efficiencyto energy-related financial literacy. We find that while energy-relevant knowledge per se does not play a significant role, stronger cognitive abilities are associated with higher levels of energy efficiency.
  • Enhancing the resolution of the angular orientations of the flow controlling blades on a sustainable house by training an artificial neural network
    Item type: Journal Article
    Amini, Kasra; Mehrjou, Arash; Mani, Mahmoud (2021)
    Energy Efficiency
    Among all its effects, the development of the boundary layer, its separation, and formation of the wake region could lead to higher convective heat transfer over the body, if the flow conditions cause high gradient velocity profiles in the surface vicinities of the field. And also, a low-pressure region in the downstream of the geometry is formed, which increases the pressure drag exerted on it. The influence of the aforementioned issue on the zero energy house design has been tackled by introducing a new flow control mechanism. The so-called flow controlling blades (FCBs) were recently designed and investigated on a smart sustainable house, in order to control the flow field around the house, prevent the separation, and decrease the wake intensity, targeting a lower level of convective heat loss and drag force exerted on the body. The angular orientation of these FCBs was formerly determined for 12 different free wind directions (30° increments), as a look-up table for the main control system of the house. To increase the resolution of the orientations, we make use of a recently successful tool in machine learning called neural networks to estimate the desired orientation of the blades for the wind directions that do not exist in the said look-up table. Consequently, all the sample investigated sub-intervals not originally covered by the CFD data, showing great coincidence with the data driven from the neural network utilized in this study.
  • Modelling of electricity savings in the Danish households sector
    Item type: Journal Article
    Baldini, Mattia; Trivella, Alessio (2018)
    Energy Efficiency
  • Why some electricity utilities actively promote energy efficiency while others do not—a Swiss case study
    Item type: Journal Article
    Blumer, Yann B.; Mühlebach, Martin; Moser, Corinne (2014)
    Energy Efficiency
    Electricity utilities are key players for promoting energy efficiency (EE) because of their close link to consumers. Utility-centered EE policy frameworks, such as white certificate schemes coupled to saving obligations, have been shown to be both effective and efficient in several US states and various European countries. In Switzerland, where such a policy framework is absent on a national level, large differences occur among utility providers in their activities to promote EE. This study sheds light on this issue, using data from a survey of Swiss utilities (N = 114). A two-step cluster analysis was used to identify three groups of utilities. It is based on these utilities’ evaluation of 20 incentives and constraints for promoting EE. An analysis of variance found significant differences between the clusters regarding size (number of employees), share of production, number of large clients, and—most importantly—level of activity in implementing EE programs. The most active cluster comprises mainly larger utility companies, which primarily see the incentives of promoting EE. The passive cluster consists of small companies, focusing primarily on constraints. There is also an ambivalent cluster. It includes middle-sized companies, which see both clear incentives and many constraints – mainly a lack of human and capital resources—for engaging in EE. Based on our analysis, we conclude that due to the large heterogeneity of Swiss utilities, there is a need for contextualized policies targeting different types of utilities in order to effectively promote EE.
  • Measuring persistent and transient energy efficiency in the US
    Item type: Journal Article
    Filippini, Massimo; Hunt, Lester C. (2016)
    Energy Efficiency
    The promotion of US energy efficiency policy is seen as a very important activity. Generally, the level of energy efficiency of a country or state is approximated by energy intensity, commonly calculated as the ratio of energy use to GDP. However, energy intensity is not an accurate proxy for energy efficiency given that changes in energy intensity are a function of changes in several factors including the structure of the economy, climate, efficiency in the use of resources, behaviour and technical change. The aim of this paper is to measure persistent and transient energy efficiency for the whole economy of 49 states in the US using a stochastic frontier energy demand approach. A total US energy demand frontier function is estimated using panel data for 49 states over the period 1995 to 2009 using two panel data models: the Mundlak version of the random effects model (which estimates the persistent part of the energy efficiency) and the true random effects model (which estimates the transient part of the energy efficiency). The analysis confirms that energy intensity is not a good indicator of energy efficiency, whereas, by controlling for a range of economic and other factors, the measures of energy efficiency obtained via the approach adopted here are. Moreover, the estimates show that although for some states energy intensity might give a reasonable indication of a state’s relative energy efficiency, this is not the case for all states.
  • Incentives for energy efficiency in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
    Item type: Journal Article
    Schleich, Joachim; Rogge, Karoline; Betz, Regina (2009)
    Energy Efficiency
    This paper explores the incentives for energy efficiency induced by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) for installations in the energy and industry sectors. Our analysis of the National Allocation Plans for 27 EU Member States for phase 2 of the EU ETS (2008–2012) suggests that the price and cost effects for improvements in carbon and energy efficiency in the energy and industry sectors will be stronger than in phase 1 (2005–2007), but only because the European Commission has substantially reduced the number of allowances to be allocated by the Member States. To the extent that companies from these sectors (notably power producers) pass through the extra costs for carbon, higher prices for allowances translate into stronger incentives for the demand-side energy efficiency. With the cuts in allocation to energy and industry sectors, these will be forced to greater reductions; thus, the non-ET sectors like household, tertiary, and transport will have to reduce less, which is more in line with the cost-efficient share of emission reductions. The findings also imply that domestic efficiency improvements in the energy and industry sectors may remain limited since companies can make substantial use of credits from the Kyoto Mechanisms. The analysis of the rules for existing installations, new projects, and closures suggests that incentives for energy efficiency are higher in phase 2 than in phase 1 because of the increased application of benchmarking to new and existing installations and because a lower share of allowances will be allocated for free. Nevertheless, there is still ample scope to further improve the EU ETS so that the full potential for energy efficiency can be realized.
  • Estimation of the energy efficiency in Chinese provinces
    Item type: Journal Article
    Filippini, Massimo; Zhang, Lin (2016)
    Energy Efficiency
    China is one of the largest energy consumers and CO2 emitters globally. The growth rate of energy consumption in China is about 6 % per year, and it consumed 21 % of the world’s total energy in 2012. In recent years, the Chinese government decided to introduce several energy policy instruments to promote energy efficiency. For instance, the reduction targets for the level of energy intensity have been defined for provinces in China. However, energy intensity is not an accurate proxy for energy efficiency because changes in energy intensity are a function of changes in several socioeconomic factors. In this paper, we present an empirical analysis on the estimation of the persistent and transient energy efficiency of Chinese provinces by employing a log-log aggregate energy demand frontier model. The model is estimated by using data on 29 provinces observed over the period 2003 to 2012. Several econometric model specifications for panel data are used: the random effects model and the true random effects model along with other versions of these models. Our analysis shows that energy intensity cannot measure accurately the level of efficiency in the use of energy in Chinese provinces. Further, our empirical analysis shows that the average value of the persistent energy efficiency is around 0.81 whereas the average value of the transient energy efficiency is relatively high and shows a value of approximately 0.97. By improving the level of efficiency in the use of energy to 100 %, the total energy consumption in China would decrease by approximately 1000 Mtce, which corresponds to 25 % of total energy consumption in 2012.
  • Promoting energy-saving behaviour: formal social groups as promising middle actors for municipal interventions
    Item type: Journal Article
    Frick, Vivian; Seidl, Roman; Stauffacher, Michael; et al. (2017)
    Energy Efficiency
  • Correction to: Measuring persistent and transient energy efficiency in the US
    Item type: Other Journal Item
    Filippini, Massimo; Hunt, Lester C. (2018)
    Energy Efficiency
    The promotion of US energy efficiency policy is seen as a very important activity. Generally, the level of energy efficiency of a country or state is approximated by energy intensity, commonly calculated as the ratio of energy use to GDP. However, energy intensity is not an accurate proxy for energy efficiency given that changes in energy intensity are a function of changes in several factors including the structure of the economy, climate, efficiency in the use of resources, behaviour and technical change. The aim of this paper is to measure persistent and transient energy efficiency for the whole economy of 49 states in the US using a stochastic frontier energy demand approach. A total US energy demand frontier function is estimated using panel data for 49 states over the period 1995 to 2009 using two panel data models: the Mundlak version of the random effects model (which estimates the persistent part of the energy efficiency) and the true random effects model (which estimates the transient part of the energy efficiency). The analysis confirms that energy intensity is not a good indicator of energy efficiency, whereas, by controlling for a range of economic and other factors, the measures of energy efficiency obtained via the approach adopted here are. Moreover, the estimates show that although for some states energy intensity might give a reasonable indication of a state’s relative energy efficiency, this is not the case for all states.
  • Transient and persistent energy efficiency in the US residential sector: evidence from household-level data
    Item type: Journal Article
    Alberini, Anna; Filippini, Massimo (2018)
    Energy Efficiency
    In this paper, we measure the energy efficiency implicit in residential energy consumption using a panel dataset comprised of 40,246 observations from US households observed over 1997–2009. We fit a stochastic frontier model of the minimum input of energy needed to meet the level of energy services demanded by the household. This benchmarking exercise produces a transient and a persistent efficiency index for each household and each time period. We estimate that the US residential sector could save approximately 10% of its total energy consumption if it reduced persistent inefficiencies and 17% if it were possible to eliminate transient inefficiencies. These figures are in line with recent economy-wide assessments for the USA. Our results suggest that savings in energy use and associated emissions of greenhouse gases may benefit from both policy measures that attain short-run behavioral changes (e.g., nudges, social norms, display of real-time information about usage, and real-time pricing) as well measures aimed at the long run, such as energy-efficiency regulations, incentives on the purchase of high-efficiency equipment, and incentives towards a change of habits in the use of the equipment.
Publications 1 - 10 of 14