Mind the gap? : critically reviewing the energy efficiency gap with empirical evidence

Stadelmann, Marcel

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-20977

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Mind the gap? : critically reviewing the energy efficiency gap with empirical evidence
Authors:	Stadelmann, Marcel
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006 10.21256/zhaw-20977
Published in:	Energy Research & Social Science
Volume(Issue):	27
Page(s):	117
Pages to:	128
Issue Date:	22-Mar-2017
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Elsevier
ISSN:	2214-6296 2214-6326
Language:	English
Subjects:	Energy efficiency gap; Discounting; Purchase decision; Behavioral anomaly
Subject (DDC):	333.79: Energy
Abstract:	A large body of literature suggests that households could save money by increasing the level of energy efficiency of the energy-using durables they purchase – a so-called “energy efficiency gap”. High implicit discount rates estimated from purchases of energy-using durables have generally been interpreted as evidence of such an energy efficiency gap. However, the “discounting gap” between econometrically estimated discount rates and risk-adjusted market interest rates commonly presented in the literature is caused by different factors not all of which portray privately suboptimal purchase decisions by households. In particular, the discounting gap overstates the size of an energy efficiency gap in the choice between efficient and inefficient durables because of estimation and interpretation flaws. This article reviews the factors potentially explaining the observation of a discounting gap in the purchase of energy-using durables. It separates the factors only contributing to a discounting gap from the ones causing an energy efficiency gap to reveal a discrepancy between the size of the estimated discounting gap and the empirical findings of privately inefficient behavior by households.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/20977
Fulltext version:	Accepted version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Management and Law
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Management and Law

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Stadelmann, M. (2017). Mind the gap? : critically reviewing the energy efficiency gap with empirical evidence. Energy Research & Social Science, 27, 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006

Stadelmann, M. (2017) ‘Mind the gap? : critically reviewing the energy efficiency gap with empirical evidence’, Energy Research & Social Science, 27, pp. 117–128. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006.

M. Stadelmann, “Mind the gap? : critically reviewing the energy efficiency gap with empirical evidence,” Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 27, pp. 117–128, Mar. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006.

STADELMANN, Marcel, 2017. Mind the gap? : critically reviewing the energy efficiency gap with empirical evidence. Energy Research & Social Science. 22 März 2017. Bd. 27, S. 117–128. DOI 10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006

Stadelmann, Marcel. 2017. “Mind the Gap? : Critically Reviewing the Energy Efficiency Gap with Empirical Evidence.” Energy Research & Social Science 27 (March): 117–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006.

Stadelmann, Marcel. “Mind the Gap? : Critically Reviewing the Energy Efficiency Gap with Empirical Evidence.” Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 27, Mar. 2017, pp. 117–28, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.03.006.