دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی عوامل موثر بر رفتارهای صرفه جویی در انرژی و سرمایه گذاری در بهره وری انرژی - الزویر 2018

ABSTRACT

The objective of this paper is to identify the socio-demographic, dwelling, and environmental factors that have the strongest influence on the daily energy-saving behaviours, the adoption of energy efficient appliances and the energy efficient retrofit investments made by British households. This study uses British household data from the “Survey of Public Attitudes and Behaviours towards the Environment” collected in 2009, and employs nonlinear principal components analysis (NLPCA), ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, and probit models. The results show different household profiles with specific features driving daily energy-saving behaviours and energy efficiency investments. Environmental variables are a good predictor of both energy-saving behaviours and investment in energy efficient appliances but not of energy efficient retrofit measures. Results of income and dwelling type variables with regard to energy-saving behaviours and energy efficient retrofit investments significantly diverge; in addition, interesting patterns emerge with respect to the respondents’ age, sex, and marital status. By evaluating and understanding the household and dwelling characteristics that affect energy-saving behaviours and energy efficiency investments, it is possible to obtain a clearer idea of where and how energy and emissions savings can be made, and to propose effective and targeted policies that promote energy-responsible lifestyles.

5. Conclusions and implications for energy policy

This study provides novel evidence concerning the socio-demographic, dwelling and environmental factors driving the energy-saving behaviours and energy efficiency investments of British households. In addition, this study extends the existing literature by simultaneously investigating and comparing the drivers of energy-saving behaviours and energy efficiency investments. Furthermore, in the context of energy efficiency investments, this article establishes a theoretical distinction, followed by an empirical analysis, between the adoption of energy efficient appliances and investment in energy efficient retrofits. These two types of energy efficiency investments have repeatedly been overlapped in the literature and deserve to be clearly distinguished.

The results show that we can trace different profiles with specific characteristics of British households regarding conservation and effi- ciency measures. The main findings can be summarised as follows. Although the probability of investing in energy efficient retrofit measures increases in older age groups, mixed results emerge from the relationship of the age factor with energy-saving behaviours. Compared to single respondents, married respondents are positively associated with all three different energy activities. Women seem more likely to purchase energy efficient appliances than men. The energy-saving behaviours and energy efficient retrofit investments of British households are driven by income levels: compared to low-income households, medium and high-income households appear less likely to save energy through daily activities but more likely to invest in energy efficient retrofit measures. With respect to dwelling type, households living in a flat seem more likely to adopt energy-saving behaviours than households living in a terraced house but less likely to invest in energy effi- cient retrofit measures. Pro-environmental behaviour, attitude, and knowledge are positively correlated with energy-saving behaviours and the adoption of energy efficient appliances, but not with energy effi- cient retrofit investments, thereby indicating a trade-off between environmental variables and high-cost energy efficiency investments.