Realized Savings from Residential Conservation Activity

Sebold, Frederick D.; Fox, Eric W.

doi:10.5547/issn0195-6574-ej-vol6-no2-6

Cited by 37 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…Evidence from previous studies, however, suggests that analysts have substantially overestimated energy savings due to optimism or due to reliance on highly controlled studies. For example, previous studies have found that actual savings from utility-sponsored programs typically achieve 50-80% of predicted savings (Sebold and Fox, 1985;Hirst, 1986). Based on an analysis of residential energy consumption data, Metcalf and Hassett (1999) find that the realized return on conservation investments in insulation was about 10%, well below typical engineering estimates that returns were 50% or more.…”

Section: Payback Thresholds and Implicit Discount Ratesmentioning

confidence: 90%

Information programs for technology adoption: the case of energy-efficiency audits

Anderson

Newell

2004

Resource and Energy Economics

410

323

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We analyze technology adoption decisions of manufacturing plants in response to governmentsponsored energy audits. Overall, plants adopt about half of the recommended energy-efficiency projects. Using fixed effects logit estimation, we find that adoption rates are higher for projects with shorter paybacks, lower costs, greater annual savings, higher energy prices, and greater energy conservation. Plants are 40% more responsive to initial costs than annual savings, suggesting that subsidies may be more effective at promoting energy-efficient technologies than energy price increases. Adoption decisions imply hurdle rates of 50-100%, which is consistent with the investment criteria small and medium-size firms state they use.

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Section: Payback Thresholds and Implicit Discount Ratesmentioning

confidence: 90%

Information programs for technology adoption: the case of energy-efficiency audits

Anderson

Newell

2004

Resource and Energy Economics

410

323

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“…Thus, it cannot be stated with certainty which realization rates are net and which are gross. (Hirst, et al, 1989;Sebold and Fox, 1985;Brown and White, 1992). However, it was not possible to discern how much the improved performance resulted from greater actual energy savings versus improved forecasting (Le., ex-ante estimation of savings).…”

Section: Figure Esl Distribution Of Realization Rates (N=158)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Summary of California DSM impact evaluation studies

Brown¹,

Mihlmester²

1994

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“…In empirical research, two groups of participants in a utility-weatherization program in the 1980s achieved 47 and 78 percent of predicted savings on average (Hirst 1986), 23 while realized savings from another utility program ranged from 50 to 81 percent of predicted electricity savings, and 14 to 42 percent of predicted natural gas savings (Sebold and Fox 1985). In another study, a tool used for weatherization home audits overpredicted savings by 186 percent, despite accurate engineering calculations (Ternes and Gettings 2008).…”

Section: Do Analysts Systematically Overestimate Energy Savings From mentioning

confidence: 99%