The Feasibility of Changing Electricity Consumption Patterns

Kasulis, Jack J.; Huettner, David A.; Dikeman, Neil

doi:10.1086/208866

Cited by 48 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Household income is a dominant predictor for larger energy conservation investments (see Long, 1993;Kasulis et al, 1981;Poortinga et al, 2003;Walsh 1989). Education level is positively correlated with both energy use and energy conservation investments (Held 1983).…”

Section: Literature Review Incentives and Barriers Some Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of attribute preferences on adoption timing: The case of photo-voltaic (PV) solar cells for household electricity generation

Islam

Meade

2013

Energy Policy

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We are concerned with micro-generation, individual households generating electricity using a renewable energy technology. We focus on modelling the adoption probability of photovoltaic solar panels by a household. Using data collected from an area of Canada where a generous feed-in tariff is available to households generating electricity from solar panels, we measure household level preferences for panels and use these preferences along with household characteristics to predict adoption time intentions. We use recent developments in measuring household level preferences for innovations via discrete choice experiments and establish a causal link between the attributes of the technology and adoption time intentions using discrete time survival mixture analysis. Significant preferences included lower cost, greater energy savings and lower fossil fuel inflation. Estimation of hazard probabilities showed that the significant preferences had intuitively reasonable effects. The hazard probabilities allow us to compute cumulative probability of adoption over a ten year period per household. Technology awareness has a significant effect on the adoption probability, reinforcing the need for effective education. Our approach indicates the level of heterogeneity in preferences, particularly high for investment criteria and CO 2 emissions. These findings suggest that education campaigns should explain more about investment criteria, feed-in tariffs and environmental effects. IntroductionGrowing energy demand, finite fossil fuel supplies, worries about energy security and environmental concerns are all factors encouraging the increasing use of renewable resources for electricity generation. Here, we are concerned with micro-generation, where individual households generate electricity using a renewable energy technology. This is a potentially very significant energy source as individual households account for one third of all energy consumption in USA (see Stern, 1992). We focus on the adoption of photo-voltaic solar panels by households. Data are gathered about the intentions and preferences of households to discover the determinants of whether households will adopt a solar panel installation and, if so, when they are likely to do so.Energy policy analysis tends to prioritize technology and cost reduction considerations over a detailed understanding of household preferences. As noted by Stern (1992), the technical economic style of analysis is indispensable, but is lacking in both conceptual tools and understanding of how households (and social systems) can be changed to achieve policy objectives. The diffusion of new micro-generation technologies, such as photo-voltaic solar panels, is generally thought to be slow due to the conflict between the economic costs and the environmental benefits. In one of the more attractive markets, the residential sector, where individual households generate electricity on a small scale (less than 10 kWh), the resource and environmental advantages of photo-voltaic cells over conventio...

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Section: Literature Review Incentives and Barriers Some Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of attribute preferences on adoption timing: The case of photo-voltaic (PV) solar cells for household electricity generation

Islam

Meade

2013

Energy Policy

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“…In an econometric estimation of determinants of energy conservation expenditures Long (1993) proved that income level of the households was positively and statistically related to larger conservation investments. Kasulis et al (1981) had argued that if a household belonged to a low income group, they would be very likely to use low amounts of energy and they would not have the ability to respond to requests for greater conservation activity. Stern and Gardner (1981) stressed that energy efficiency is more preferable to higher income consumers rather than curtailment measures.…”

Section: Income Influences On Energy-conserving Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating energy conservation patterns of Greek households

2007

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“…Among those few, some used an opt-in design eliciting a commitment to participate (hence confounded the mere-participation manipulation), had small samples, used weak manipulations, or omitted essential details in the research report, making it hard to tell what they did and found (20)(21)(22). As a measure of the importance of even small changes in energy consumption, states have set goals ranging from 0.1% to 2.25% annual savings (23).…”

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confidence: 99%

The Hawthorne effect and energy awareness

Schwartz

Fischhoff²,

Krishnamurti

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

125

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The feeling of being observed or merely participating in an experiment can affect individuals' behavior. Referred to as the Hawthorne effect, this inconsistently observed phenomenon can both provide insight into individuals' behavior and confound the interpretation of experimental manipulations. Here, we pursue both topics in examining how the Hawthorne effect emerges in a large field experiment focused on residential consumers' electricity use. These consumers received five postcards notifying, and then reminding, them of their participation in a study of household electricity use. We found evidence for a Hawthorne (study participation) effect, seen in a reduction of their electricity use-even though they received no information, instruction, or incentives to change. Responses to a follow-up survey suggested that the effect reflected heightened awareness of energy consumption. Consistent with that interpretation, the treatment effect vanished when the intervention ended.environmental decision making | energy conservation | electricity consumption | behavioral decision research How to substitute human responsibility for futile strife and hatredthis is one of the most important researches of our time.

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The Feasibility of Changing Electricity Consumption Patterns

Cited by 48 publications

References 10 publications

The impact of attribute preferences on adoption timing: The case of photo-voltaic (PV) solar cells for household electricity generation

The impact of attribute preferences on adoption timing: The case of photo-voltaic (PV) solar cells for household electricity generation

Estimating energy conservation patterns of Greek households

The Hawthorne effect and energy awareness

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