Household Energy Consumption Research Articles

Research on energy consumption in household sector: a comprehensive review based on bibliometric analysis

Households are an important sector in carrying out human development activities, accounting for more than 30% of the total global energy consumption. The continued growth of household energy consumption (HEC) and carbon emissions is threatening economic and environmental sustainability. This review focuses on the research in the field of HEC and conducts a bibliometric analysis of research articles from the Web of Science Core Collection since 2000. The results show that: 1) HEC research has undergone rapid development since 2014, and interdisciplinary fusion and collaborative research have become dominant trends. 2) Keyword co-occurrence analysis clearly identifies the current urgent themes, including energy demand and its determinants, environmental impact factors and assessments, and energy-saving technologies and emission reduction measures. 3) The analysis of citations reveals that economic models, such as input-output models and life cycle assessment, are frequently employed in the field of HEC. Based on a summary of household energy-saving and emissions reduction work, this paper critically discusses the limitations of existing measures such as smart home technology, sustainable energy systems, and behavioral interventions. The main directions for promoting household energy-saving development in the future are identified: including improving the security and customer engagement of smart home technology, focusing on the availability and stability of sustainable energy, and paying more attention to low-income and aging households in behavioral intervention measures. One of the important obstacles facing research is how to reduce energy management efficiency and usage costs through technology and policy.

A hybrid solar–biogas system for post-COVID-19 rural energy access

Abstract Solar home systems for rural electrification are often designed with a limited energy supply, which presents a drawback for the technology. Furthermore, uncontrolled livestock faeces in rural communities constitute environmental sanitation and health risks. Livestock excrement can be used through a biogas digester to supplement solar energy to provide adequate and sustainable electricity access to underserved rural communities while achieving waste management. Therefore, this study presents a hybrid solar–biogas system for a more dynamic energy supply and waste management for post-Covid recovery plans in rural communities. A parametric research approach that involves the use of the Integrated Environment Solution Virtual Environment software application and mathematical models to design the desired household load and the hybrid system sizing is used in the study. The findings show that the daily household energy consumption was 6.6 kWh, equivalent to 206.40 kWh/month. A 1.2-kWp and 1.2-m3 hybrid solar–biogas system was found to adequately power the house. Financially, the total initial investment cost of the system was $5777.20 with a net present value of $6566.78, net profit of $4443.6, a payback period of 14 years and 8 months, and a levelized cost of energy of $0.21/kWh; these include a 60% initial investment and maintenance costs subsidy. Energy performance contracting and energy-as-a-service were recommended to effectively run and operate the system. The study successfully revealed the design, specifications and upscaling mechanism of the proposed hybrid solar–biogas system. More research is required to unveil the efficacy of the system, the performance gap and the perception of the technology by the beneficiaries.

Reducing energy poverty by nearly universal pension coverage of rural China

This paper estimates the causal effect of income change on reducing energy poverty by exploiting age-based eligibility for China’s New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) through a regression discontinuity (RD) design. More than one billion people worldwide live in energy poverty, and the situation is even more difficult in developing world. It is an important development challenge to reduce energy poverty, which could be further associated with health outcome, labor productivity, and educational achievements. While public policies that increase income for poor households are the most direct ways to reduce energy poverty, the reverse causality makes establishing a convincing causal link between income and energy poverty challenging. Using the quasi-experimental variation in income induced by NRPS, this paper addresses the endogeneity of income and examines the impact of exogenous sharp changes in income on energy consumption behaviors. The findings indicate substantial increases in modern energy consumption and sizable reductions in solid fuels (e.g., straw and fuelwood), suggesting that “windfall income” by pension coverage alleviates energy poverty. Although individuals could anticipate the income shocks by pension coverage, the evidence suggests that they do not engage in anticipatory responses to smooth their consumption. Further evidence shows that liquidity constraints may be the underlying mechanism for the lack of anticipatory responses in household energy consumption. Besides reducing energy poverty, the results demonstrate that pension coverage leads to a decrease in elderly labor supply, an increase in subjective health and life satisfaction, and an increase in non-energy consumption, all of which are positively associated with the well-beings of senior citizens. We anticipate that the findings of this paper in the context of China may be extended to developing world which has been expected to set up targeted measures to tackle energy poverty in upcoming decades.

Reducing carbon emissions through green renewal: insights from residential energy consumption in Chinese urban inventory districts from an evidence-based decision-making perspective

The green regeneration of urban inventory is now much more viewed as a strategy to create “green finance”, in contrast to the urban renewal movement that was started in the 1950s and focused on the physical renovation of the built environment. This study draws on evidence-based theory to examine the spatial forms of residential communities in 36 urban districts of China. From a morphological perspective, it summarizes the spatial forms of residential environments at the level of buildings and microdistricts. The results indicate that in urban areas, the aspect ratio and shape coefficient of residential buildings have a significant impact on household energy consumption, and an appropriate increase in building density will help reduce carbon emissions. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the role of carbon reduction as a kind of “green finance” and provides a reference for subsequent urban renewal decisions in combination with China’s actual cases.

Reducing the energy costs of urban households when using electric bikes and electric scooters to provide urban mobility

The study analyzed the reduction in energy consumption of urban households when using electric bikes and electric scooters to provide urban mobility. An analysis was made of reducing the average energy consumption of urban households when switching to the use of electric bikes and electric scooters to ensure urban mobility, depending on operating temperature conditions (0-10C0, 11-20C0, 21-30C0). The data obtained reflect the degree of reduction in average energy consumption of urban households when using electric bikes and electric scooters to ensure urban mobility, depending on the temperature operating conditions. These studies can be used in conducting research aimed at optimizing the energy consumption of urban residents to ensure urban mobility based on the use of electric bikes and electric scooters in modern cities.

Impact of household income on household energy consumption and energy poverty from a mental account perspective

Impact of household income on household energy consumption and energy poverty from a mental account perspective

Energy efficiency analysis: A household digital transformation

<p>Nowadays, the increased demand for energy and electrification associated with higher production costs from renewable and cleaner sources has driven up prices, impacting the industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. With a direct influence on the development of these economic sectors, its direct and indirect impacts to products and services have become important to find more efficient ways and best practices on energy use to support sustainable development. Aiming to shed light on this topic, and how individuals and society behave in this energy market transformation, this article explores opportunities for reducing electricity consumption through the use of modern technologies, such as of monitoring, optimization, automation, and adjustment of routines. At the same time, it is also our intention to bring to the surface a discussion around the rational use of everyday resources and raising the awareness of its impact to individuals and institutions. At its core, this work consists of continuous data collection of single devices and equipment in regard to status, energy consumption, and other relevant data of a typical household. Through behavioral changes and introduction of smart home automation techniques, it was possible to trace a parallel comparison between different scenarios and their influence on the energy consumption without negative impact to the comfort of individuals. Seeking a continuous improvement approach, extensive iterations were conducted, and it was possible to notice not only an energy efficiency improvement, but at the same time gains in living standards and safety. The significant results observed over subsequent months and years highlight not only practical and financial benefits, but also increased awareness and behavioral changes toward the rational use of electricity in households.</p>

Energetska tranzicija u domaćinstvima: analiza usaglašenosti Srbije sa paketom „Čista energija za sve Evropljane“

Due to its complexity and heterogeneity, the household sector represents an essential point in energy transition policies. In the European Union, household energy consumption accounts for about 26% of final energy consumption, while in Serbia, this sector has the largest share in final consumption, accounting for about one-third of final consumption. By implementing energy efficiency measures, significant energy savings can be achieved, which, together with the reduction and substitution of the use of fossil fuels, contribute to a lesser impact on climate change and significant reduction in air pollution. The package of legislative measures "Clean Energy for All Europeans" is a comprehensive set of laws defining European climate and energy policy after 2020. This package encompasses and links a series of topics related to the household sector. Through this package, member states are required to set high goals for energy efficiency and decarbonisation in the construction and revitalization of residential buildings, while simultaneously implementing measures concerning households affected by energy poverty. The Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive, the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, and the Regulation on the Establishment of a Framework for Achieving Climate Neutrality cover the main issues related to energy transition policy in households in the European Union. As a member of the Energy Community and a candidate for membership in the European Union, Serbia has committed to harmonizing its energy policy and legislation, accepting technical assistance and support in implementing reforms to adapt the national energy system to European standards. The aim of this paper is to present the regulatory and strategic framework "Clean Energy for All Europeans" in the part related to the household sector and to analyse its transposition into key legal provisions dealing with this topic in the Republic of Serbia

Spatiotemporal characteristics, influencing factors, and trend prediction of household energy consumption in China

Spatiotemporal characteristics, influencing factors, and trend prediction of household energy consumption in China

Enhancing Household Energy Consumption Predictions Through Explainable AI Frameworks

Enhancing Household Energy Consumption Predictions Through Explainable AI Frameworks

Unraveling the Paradigm of Household Energy Consumption: Environmental Impacts and the Transition to Energy Efficiency

Amidst global climate change and natural resource degradation challenges, adopting energy-efficient home appliances is becoming increasingly crucial, especially in developing countries like Indonesia. Java Island is the country’s economic and industrial center with the highest domestic energy consumption. This study aims to analyze the influence of knowledge about eco-labels and environmental consciousness, mediated by self-efficacy, on the willingness of consumers in Java to adopt energy-efficient household appliances. This study utilizes the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) theoretical framework. Data were collected from 210 respondents through a survey disseminated through social media, and analysis was conducted using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method within the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework. Results show that eco-label knowledge and environmental consciousness significantly contribute to willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances, with self-efficacy as an essential mediator. The findings present new insights into sustainable consumer behavior and provide practical recommendations for policymakers and practitioners in formulating effective promotional strategies to increase the adoption of energy-efficient home appliances in Indonesia. As such, this study extends the green consumer behavior literature by exploring the mediating role of self-efficacy in a developing country context.

ANALYSIS OF THE PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS OF HOUSEHOLDS’ COOKING ENERGY DEMAND IN YOBE STATE, NIGERIA

The paper investigates household cooking energy consumption pattern in Yobe State, Nigeria utilizing secondary data sourced from Nigeria’s COVID-19 national longtitudinal phone survey (NLPS, 2020). Descriptive statistics and ordinarily least squares estimation technique were employed in the analysis of the data. The findings indicate that about 66.7% of the households in Yobe are multiple fuel users. Additionally, among the specific fuel users about half (50%) of the users relied on fuelwood for their household needs. With regards to the determinants of energy sources, income, household size and age were found to be positive and statistically significance at 1% for all the energy sources. The influence of income was the most substantial for charcoal. Household size has the most influence on fuelwood. Similarly, Older households seem to consume more of all fuels. The results for area of residence was only positive and and statistically significance at 1% for kerosene demand while Gender does not significantly affect any fuel type demand. The study concludes that socio-economic factors influence cooking energy demand in Yobe State.Hence, recommends that various stakeholders should support economic empowerment, energy education and promote outreach for specific demographics.

Community approaches to socio-economic aspects of urban energy transition

The increasing proliferation of energy-intensive devices in urban smart homes presents a pressing challenge to the stability of electrical systems, manifesting as the potential for peak load issues, unexpected disruptions, and a consequential decline in economic returns. This research is dedicated to the meticulous optimization of energy consumption, achieved through the implementation of intelligent scheduling protocols for household devices, all while factoring in their distinct characteristics and user preferences. The primary objective of this paper is to introduce a holistic engineering framework tailored to analyze the intricate dynamics of household energy consumption behaviors, with a particular emphasis on the community-level context prevalent in smart urban environments. In addressing the inherent intricacy and nonlinearity inherent in multi-objective challenges within this domain, our proposal revolves around the deployment of a specialized whale optimization algorithm. This algorithm offers a powerful tool to efficiently navigate the complexities of optimization problems, yielding solutions that approach near-optimality. Empirical findings stemming from our experimentation robustly affirm the efficacy of our proposed algorithm. They indicate substantial reductions in energy expenditure, heightened levels of customer satisfaction, and a more equitably balanced load distribution throughout the primary grid. These outcomes, in turn, contribute significantly to the overarching enhancement of global power system performance, all the while aligning harmoniously with the socio-economic considerations central to urban energy transition endeavors.

Research Status and Trends of Household Energy in China under the Background of Sustainable Development

Objective: This article primarily discusses the current status and trends of research on household energy in China within the context of sustainable development. The academic community in China considers addressing the consumption structure of household energy as one of the essential means to drive domestic sustainable development. Methods: Utilizing the literature visualization analysis software, Citespace, we conducted a quantitative visual map of the research field of household energy in China and analyzed the evolutionary path of research in this domain. Results: The study reveals a scarcity of literature and insufficient research outcomes in the field of Chinese household energy. Clusters of keywords such as rural households, rural energy, energy poverty, and household consumption indicate a research bias towards rural and impoverished areas. Keyword emergence analysis over a one-year time slice identified 10 keywords, suggesting a lack of diversity in the research field of Chinese household energy. Conclusion: The continuous improvement of research related to household energy has driven the transformation and upgrading of China's household energy consumption structure. The use of research findings enriches theoretical aspects and innovative practical methods related to Chinese household energy consumption, promoting the continuous development of research related to household energy. Throughout different stages of household energy research, it is observed that the intermediary effects of smart grids and low-carbon awareness drive the reform of China's household energy consumption system and practical applications, such as promoting reductions in carbon emissions. However, there is currently a lack of micro-level research on household energy within the Chinese academic community.

European Union and its progress towards affordable and clean energy in context of the Agenda 2030.

The topic related to affordable and clean energy is currently highly actual. It is essential to realize that affordable and clean energy is energy without negative effects on the environment. Its advantage is that a lot of clean energy is renewable. Therefore, this type of energy contributes positively to the development of several spheres in the economy, such as agriculture, trade, communications, education, health and transport. The aim of the study is to analyze changes in the development of sustainable indicators set of affordable and clean energy in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 7 in the European Union, using cluster analysis to identify the differences and compare changes in the grouping of countries into clusters in the two years studied (2010, 2020). In addition to categorizing countries and confirming differences among member states of the European Union, the results allow us to evaluate the contribution of selected indicators to achieving affordable and clean energy. Our findings indicate that primary energy consumption per capita, final energy consumption in households per capita, energy productivity, share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption and population unable to keep their home adequately warm shows a positive trend and supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 7.the energy import dependency is a problematic area in several countries. The results of cluster analysis showed that the largest shifts within the clusters were recorded in Italy, Estonia, and Luxembourg. The most positive shift occurred in Italy due to a significant improvement in four indicators. Luxembourg as a solo country cluster showed in 2020 some of the worst results due to the highest primary energy consumption per capita and the lowest share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption. The dynamics of Estonia within the clusters was marked by the lowest value of the indicator of dependence on energy imports, as well as an increase in the share of renewable energy and insufficient energy productivity. The results of our study also confirm, that Sweden and Finland are leader countries, which despite high energy consumption are applying renewable energy sources to a greater extent by which they make a positive movement toward affordable and clean energy.

THE ASSOCIATIONS OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND EXPENDITURE WITH SELF-PERCEIVED WELL-BEING AMONG CHINESE ADULTS

Abstract Background and Objectives Households in China have gradually moved to use of cleaner fuels, but the proportion using solid fuels in daily life remains as high as 30%, resulting in approximately 420,000 premature deaths annually. Energy use and its impact on health may differ by age, as less active lifestyle in later life may lead to increased household energy consumption aggravating poor health consequences. The twofold aims of this study are: 1) to examine energy consumption patterns and expenditure between young Chinese (aged 18-59) and older Chinese (aged 60 or above), and 2) to identify how energy consumption patterns and expenditure are associated with self-perceived wellbeing in the two respective age groups. Methods A total of 2,303 valid samples (M age = 51, SD = 16.2) were obtained from Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2015. Hierarchical linear modelling analyses were employed using HLMs 6.08 for each age group to examine the influence of individual-level factors and cluster-level covariates (i.e., environmental pollution, health care resources, and economic development at provincial level). Results Among the young adults, those using oils, gas, and electricity reported better self-perceived wellbeing than those using solid fuels. Among the older adults, reliance on fuel gas and energy expenditure were associated with better self-perceived wellbeing. Conclusions The harnessing of cleaner energy has the potential to increase subjective wellbeing across age groups. For older adults, the higher energy expenditure might indicate a dormant or isolated lifestyle, which calls for practice interventions to improve social engagement and promote wellbeing.

THE INFLUENCE OF POPULATION AGING ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION QUANTITY MECHANISM RESEARCH

Abstract The adjustment of population structure and household size is one of the important factors affecting the amount of household energy consumption. Influenced by the deepening of aging degree and the acceleration of aging development, the amount of energy consumption has also produced a relatively obvious change. Based on the provincial panel data from 2008 to 2017 in China, we used fixed effects and random effects models for regression analysis to further analyze the spatial differences and trends of energy consumption quantity distribution, and explore the mechanism of population aging’s influence on energy consumption quantity. In addition, we explore the path of population aging affecting energy consumption through intermediary effect analysis. Besides, we also analyzes the aging rate of population, energy consumption and environmental protection policies in different countries. It is found that, under the premise of controlling the influence of other variables, population aging rate has a negative impact on the amount of energy consumption, which is different between urban and rural areas. The increase of population aging rate in urban areas may lead to the increase of energy consumption, while the increase of population aging rate in rural areas may lead to the decrease of energy consumption. Household size and household consumption level are important intermediary variables between population aging and energy consumption. Population aging can indirectly affect energy consumption through affecting household size and household consumption level.

Sociodemographic drivers and interconnected energy-saving practices: insights from Ecuador's household sector

Purpose The escalating levels of greenhouse gas emissions have become a growing global concern, with household energy consumption emerging as a significant contributor. To develop effective public policies, it is crucial to understand the energy-saving behavior of households. This study delves into the determinants of energy-saving practices in a developing country.Design/methodology/approach The authors chose a multivariate probit model, as it allowed to look after possible correlations among seven energy-saving practices within households.Findings The findings underscore the significant influence of sociodemographic variables, such as gender, civil status, income and education, on energy-saving practices. Furthermore, the authors discovered that households where the head actively volunteers in social organizations are more likely to adopt energy-saving behaviors. Additionally, internet access positively contributes to pro-environmental behavior. This research reveals that certain energy-saving practices are interconnected, acting as complements or substitutes.Research limitations/implications Recommendations for public policy include prioritizing education in rural areas to boost energy-saving practices, improving internet access in nonurban regions and promoting citizen involvement in social organizations to enhance environmental awareness and encourage energy-saving behavior. The authors contribute to literature evidencing that certain energy-saving practices are not independent of each other, they are rather complementary and, in some cases, substitutes.Practical implications Recommendations for public policy include prioritizing education in rural areas to boost energy-saving practices, improving Internet access in nonurban regions and promoting citizen involvement in social organizations to enhance environmental awareness and encourage energy-saving behavior.Originality/value Previous studies have overlooked these interdependencies, highlighting the necessity of a system of equations to yield more efficient estimates by considering correlations between error terms.

Artificial intelligence, household financial fragility and energy resources consumption: Impacts of digital disruption from a demand-based perspective

Ensuring access to affordable energy for all is laid out among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and it remains an important open question as to how the popularity and widespread application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce impact household energy resources consumption. To systematically investigate the impacts of the application of artificial intelligence in the workforce on household energy consumption in China, empirical analysis is conducted using data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) from May to September 2022. The findings are as follows: (1) AI significantly reduces household energy consumption. Controlling other factors constant, for a one-standard-deviation increase in the impact of AI, household energy consumption drops by an average of 10.751%. Robustness and endogeneity tests, including dealing with missing values, using different energy consumption and AI indicators, as well as applying instrumental variable method, placebo test and penalized regressions, confirm this conclusion. (2) Mechanism analysis shows that AI reduces energy consumption by lowering household income and increasing their financial fragility. (3) AI's impacts on different types of energy consumption are heterogeneous. Its negative effects are mainly observed in the significant reduction of electricity and gas consumption. Furthermore, it increases the probability of using solid fuels such as honeycomb coal, coal lumps, traditional biomass, etc., thereby increasing the reliance on low-grade energy resources and raising the risk of energy poverty. (4) AI has greater negative effects on those who do not have access to energy subsidies and households with poor energy security and stability, lower income and inadequate social security. Besides, its impacts on regions with higher levels of technological development are more prominent. (5) Feasible pathways to mitigate the adverse effects of AI are explored. It is found that improving labor protection can help alleviate its adverse consequences on energy consumption. This paper provides evidence on the impacts of technological disruption from a demand-based perspective. It highlights the need for better policies on energy, social security, income distribution and labor protection to weaken AI's effects on household energy consumption and prevent them from falling into energy poverty.

Now or later: The long tail effect of household income on energy consumption

In residential buildings, energy-using appliances support nearly all domestic needs, such as heating, cooling, cooking, lighting, and entertainment, and constitute the bulk of household energy consumption. However, decoupling between purchasing energy-using appliances and consuming energy may run counter to the basic expectation of the income consumption curve based on the most established theory of utility. Instead, we expect a long-tailed curve with a left deviation, that is, the long tail effect of income on household energy consumption. We thus rigorously examined the long tail effect by describing the changes in energy consumption against increasing household income. Three empirical studies demonstrate a possible intrinsic mechanism, and four heterogenous tests investigate the extrinsic incentives. Evidently, when considering the priority in household bundles, the decoupling of purchasing energy-consuming appliances and energy consumption leads to a long tail effect. Without intervention, households with higher income are less persuaded to purchase energy-saving products than households with lower income. Moreover, extrinsic incentives can influence intrinsic appeal and the long tail effect. We advance the conceptual and practical understanding of the exceptional consumption pattern of household energy, which is an indispensable and low-priority consumption in household bundles. The findings can provide researchers and policymakers with more detailed theoretical and practical instructions on how to encourage different households to form low-energy consumption patterns and apply energy-efficient appliances.