American Economic Review
ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)
Deconstructing the Energy-Efficiency Gap: Conceptual Frameworks and Evidence
American Economic Review
vol. 105,
no. 5, May 2015
(pp. 183–86)
Abstract
Energy-efficient technologies offer considerable promise for reducing the financial costs and environmental damages associated with energy use, but these technologies appear not to be adopted to the degree that appears justified, even on a purely private basis. We present two complementary frameworks for understanding this so-called "energy paradox" or "energy efficiency gap." First, we build upon previous literature by dividing potential explanations for the energy efficiency gap into three categories: market failures, behavioral anomalies, and model and measurement errors. Second, we examine the elements of cost-minimizing energy efficiency decisions, the typical benchmark used in assessing the gap's magnitude.Citation
Gerarden, Todd, Richard G. Newell, and Robert N. Stavins. 2015. "Deconstructing the Energy-Efficiency Gap: Conceptual Frameworks and Evidence." American Economic Review 105 (5): 183–86. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20151012Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- O31 Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
- Q41 Energy: Demand and Supply; Prices
- Q51 Valuation of Environmental Effects