No-regret Potentials in Energy Conservation : An Analysis of Their Relevance, Size and Determinants

The climate change debate has stimulated a controversy on the existence and size of potentials to reduce energy consumption at an economic benefit, so-called no-regret potentials. This book develops a theoretical evaluation framework with particular focus on transaction costs and real option theory. The resulting typology of no-regret potentials serves to re-evaluate the no-regret potential inherent in highly efficient electric motors and in energy service contracting. Both case studies confirm the existence of no-regret potentials, even if they indicate a certain spread of results around the original estimates. The book concludes with perspectives for deriving more aggregated model-based results