U.S. energy service companies (ESCOs) are very interested in expanding their businesses outside the U.S. Despite the needs of many countries for ESCO involvement, ESCOs face many challenges (i.e. marketing, financial, institutional, political and cultural impediments). Using Japan as an example,...

Energy use in the Japanese residential sector has more than doubled (on a per-household basis) during the post-war period. Important factors contributing to the increase include changes in the types of housing built, heating, cooling, water-heating equipment, and other appliances. In this paper,...

This paper identifies a spectrum of risk management opportunities associated with technologies and procedures that use energy more efficiently or supply renewable energy. While the economic benefits of these measures have long been of interest to energy consumers seeking to reduce their energy...

Engineering models of the physical processes of energy use in individual houses are quite complex. We investigate simple statistical models of summer electricity use and compare them to engineering models. Our data include interviews, energy audits, and utility billings for a random sample of...

During the summer of 1980, Davis (CA) undertook a program to encourage residents to reduce peak electricity use. The program was initiated by the local utility company and carried a collective financial incentive: for every 1% reduction in peak electricity use, the utility would reward the city...

Energy-efficiency labels and standards for appliances, equipment and lighting are being implemented in many countries around the world as a cornerstone of energy policy portfolios. They have a potential for very large energy savings and are very cost effective. Once appliance labeling and...

Air-to-air heat exchangers were installed in 366 energy-efficient homes as part of a demonstration program in the U.S. The median incremental cost of AAHX was $1268 ($0.69/ft2), and it was less expensive (per square foot) to install this equipment in larger houses than in smaller houses. While...

We evaluate the implementation of home energy rating and labelling programs (HERS) that are being conducted around the country. We examine the nature of different implementation problems and the kinds of strategies that have been used to deal with them to ensure the effective penetration of HERS...

Within the next few years, states will be receiving some of the largest amounts of funds ($3–5 billion) ever released by the U.S. government to be spent on energy conservation and renewable energy programs and projects. The source of these funds is the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account...

We examined differences in reported winter thermostat settings and monitored temperatures for households participating in Bonneville Power Administration's Residential Standards Demonstration Program (RSDP) in the Pacific Northwest. The reported thermostat settings were obtained from a survey of...