Household Energy Use Research Articles

Using Characteristic Energy to Study Rural Ethnic Minorities’ Household Energy Consumption and Its Impact Factors in Chongqing, China

In the context of general household energy transition, identifying different household energy consumption patterns is of great significance for the formulation of refined energy conservation and emission reduction policies. For historical reasons, the households of ethnic minorities in China tend to face more severe energy poverty problems. In this study, we proposed the concept and research method of characteristic energy, a new method to depict household energy use pattern. Combined with the diversity analysis, the energy use pattern of Tujia and Miao rural households in Chongqing, China, were studied. Households in research area were clustered into four groups with different characteristic energy sources: firewood, electricity, coal and gasoline, representing four types of household energy use pattern. The main impact factors of rural household energy use pattern are electrical appliances and amount of pig raising, indicating that household production and lifestyle play a decisive role in household energy use patterns. In addition, the research depicts the energy consumption characteristics of rural households with different incomes, ethnic groups and in different regions. The study puts forward corresponding energy saving countermeasures for different energy use pattern, helps to identify the heterogeneity of rural household energy use and promote the formulation of refined regional energy conservation and emission reduction policies.

Spatial decomposition of drivers of household energy use in Metro Manila using LMDI

The trend on the migration to home-based work environment as an option for the global workforce implies that the Philippines’ residential energy use is as significant as in the industrial and commercial sectors. Improving efficiency and reducing energy intensity in these sectors are as important in the context of sustainability. Little to no studies have looked into the potential drivers to household energy consumption in a developing country such as the Philippines. Using a spatial decomposition analysis approach, various drivers to increasing household energy consumption in Metro Manila are estimated. Household size, income levels, energy intensity and energy use structure are considered in the study. The use of spatial decomposition techniques provides a new way to compare drivers between individual regions. The results are used to identify priority areas for electricity management and to draw insights for curbing household energy use. Policy implications are provided to conclude the study.

Gedragseconomische valkuilen bij de energietransitie

Abstract Behavioral-economic pitfalls in the energy transitionThe energy transition requires large investments. The public debate in the Netherlands focuses on the associated costs, and the government uses traditional instruments such as subsidies. From the perspective of behavioral economics this approach has a few drawbacks. The goal of this article is to discuss behavioral-economic pitfalls which are important for two topics regarding the energy transition. First, households need to take measures themselves with regard to the switch to alternative energy sources. Several behavior-economic pitfalls influence households’ decisions. The most important ones are risk aversion, loss aversion, choice overload and motivation crowding out. A number of measures are discussed which the government might employ to facilitate this behavioral change by households. Second, large investments will be needed in the electricity network due to the energy transition. These costs might be mitigated by a behavioral change in energy use of households and firms: either by using less energy or by using energy at other times of the day. This might be achieved by introducing dynamic electricity tariffs. However, behavioral-economic pitfalls will affect the interest in such tariffs, most notably motivation crowding out and moral licensing. Their effects will be lessened if financial incentives are not emphasized.

Machine learning approaches for predicting household transportation energy use

This paper presents four modeling techniques for predicting household transportation energy consumption by exploring decision trees, random forest, and neural networks in addition to elastic net regularization analyses. The main objective of this study is to evaluate how effectively these advanced statistical models can be applicable to a Transportation Module (TM) operating within the Integrated Urban Metabolism Analysis Tool (IUMAT), a system-based computational platform for urban sustainability evaluation. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) travel demand model is used to estimate household transportation energy use based on household trip demand generation, travel mode, fuel type, distance and duration. The Household Travel Survey (HTS) and Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) drawn from the DVRPC database are used for model training. Our results indicate that machine learning algorithms, thanks to their ability to accommodate non-linearity, have significantly higher accuracy in predicting household transportation demand. We show that the Neural Network (NN) model out-performs the decision tree model, predicting transportation energy demand resulting in lower Mean Squared Error and a higher R2. Using a Random Forest analysis for individual variable impact testing, we also demonstrate that the number of households' motorized trips and the travel distance are the most significant predictors of household transportation energy consumption.

Rural residential energy carrier structure and primary PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Solid fuels, including various types of crop residue, wood, animal dung, and coal, are widely used for daily cooking and space heating in many rural households in developing countries, resulting in significant adverse impacts on regional air quality, indoor air quality, and human health. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) region is considered to be one of the areas with the cleanest air in the world; however, due to reliance on solid fuels in the residential sector, and due to lower air pollutant emissions from other sectors like industry and transportation, solid fuel burning has become a main issue affecting energy use and the environment in this area. It has been recognized that local solid fuel burning contributes significantly to regional climate change resulting in increased average ambient temperature and changes in the glaciers in the QTP area. However, information on household fuel use, residential energy carrier data, and air pollutant emissions in this area is very scarce. In the present study, rural household energy use in Tibet and Qinghai provinces were investigated based on a field survey and questionnaires, and primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions were estimated. Heavy reliance on solid fuels for both daily cooking and space heating was found in the QTP area. The study showed that for daily cooking activity, the time fractions of use of clean energy carriers including gas and electricity were 27% and 8% in rural Tibet and Qinghai provinces, respectively, and the time fractions of use of biomass fuels, mainly woody fuel and animal dung, were 72% and 35%, respectively. Qinghai has high reliance on coal, but Tibet has low use of coal. For space heating demand, only solid fuels were used in these two provinces. Biomass fuels, primarily wood and animal dung, were also the main fuel used to heat animal foods. Total residential fuel consumption was estimated at 3.88 (3.80−3.96 as the interquartile range) and 4.28 (3.28−5.31) million tones in rural Tibet and Qinghai, respectively, including only 1.76 million tons and 663 tons of gas fuels, respectively. The consumed fuels for cooking and heating activities were nearly equal. In rural Tibet, woody fuels and animal dung comprised up to 44% and 53%, respectively, of the total mass of rural residential fuels consumed, while in rural Qinghai, these two fuels contributed to 17% and 37% of the total mass. Annual residential fuel consumption per household was 7.91 and 5.87 tons/household, respectively, equivalent to about 122 and 129 GJ/household. For each fuel type, there was no statistically significant relationship between the consumption amount and the number of persons in the household ( P> 0.05), however, the total residential fuel consumption was positively correlated with the population at the city level ( P 0.001). This suggested that the fuel consumption per household, which reflects the basic need for each family, was similar for households in different cities, although the residential energy carrier structures were significantly different. Because of heavy reliance on traditional solid fuels, the residential sector is a main source of PM2.5. The estimated total emissions associated with the rural residential sector were 32.1 (31.9−33.4 as the inter-quartile range) and 42.7 (33.1−53.7) Gg, respectively, for Tibet and Qinghai provinces. Air pollutant emissions from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have obvious impacts on the ecosystem, including, but not limited to, outdoor and indoor air quality, public health, and regional radiative forcing. Relatively small sample size is a limitation of the present study, and in the emission estimation, emission factors were obtained from an existing database, while localized emission factors would be preferable in estimating air pollutant emissions. In future works, it is recommended to address historic changes of residential energy and the driving factors of the transition. Under the urbanization in this area, future field-based surveys and case studies would be valuable in exploring the impacts of urbanization on residential energy use, air pollutant emissions, human health and regional climate change.

Motivating non-ratepaying households with feedback and social nudges: A cautionary tale

Behavioral interventions have been shown to be valuable instruments in reducing energy use among ratepaying customers, but their effect on non-ratepayers has received less attention. This study uses a randomized controlled trial research design to examine the effect of feedback and a social nudge in the form of peer comparison on energy consumption of non-ratepaying households. The study setting is a university family housing complex, and findings are based on hourly observations of energy use by 62 households over thirteen weeks. Our results suggest that neither feedback or peer comparison is an effective instrument to reduce energy use of non-ratepaying households, and may even increase energy consumption in some contexts. We find heterogeneous effects among households that are low and high users of energy in the pre-treatment period, with high users increasing energy consumption in response to feedback. Thus, caution is needed in applying behavioral interventions when financial incentives to reinforce intended effects are absent.

The carbon footprint of household energy use in the United States.

Residential energy use accounts for roughly 20% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States. Using data on 93 million individual households, we estimate these GHGs across the contiguous United States and clarify the respective influence of climate, affluence, energy infrastructure, urban form, and building attributes (age, housing type, heating fuel) in driving these emissions. A ranking by state reveals that GHGs (per unit floor space) are lowest in Western US states and highest in Central states. Wealthier Americans have per capita footprints ∼25% higher than those of lower-income residents, primarily due to larger homes. In especially affluent suburbs, these emissions can be 15 times higher than nearby neighborhoods. If the electrical grid is decarbonized, then the residential housing sector can meet the 28% emission reduction target for 2025 under the Paris Agreement. However, grid decarbonization will be insufficient to meet the 80% emissions reduction target for 2050 due to a growing housing stock and continued use of fossil fuels (natural gas, propane, and fuel oil) in homes. Meeting this target will also require deep energy retrofits and transitioning to distributed low-carbon energy sources, as well as reducing per capita floor space and zoning denser settlement patterns.

Results and insight gained from applying the EnergyCat energy-saving serious game in UK social housing

Concerns about climate change associated with the combustion of fossil fuels urge a call for widespread reductions in household energy use. Determining means of achieving this is a key challenge faced by environmental scientists. The current research presents insights gained from a 12-month empirical trial of new serious game for energy, ‘EnergyCat’; which was designed to encourage household energy reductions in the UK social housing sector. Effects of gameplay on consumption behaviours and energy awareness were explored using 82 UK social housing households (versus a no-game control). Results indicated the intervention did not lead to any substantive changes in awareness or consumption practices. However, post-intervention feedback highlighted several issues in terms of game design and usability that may explain why the game failed to change behaviour in this instance. We provide a framework of suggestions as to how the game design process could be improved in order to engage residents in future, including use of adaptive fonts for older residents, and provision of clearer instructions on gameplay objectives at the outset. In addition, researchers should ensure close collaboration is maintained with residents throughout the design process in future efforts, in order to maximise likelihood of ongoing engagement from this population.

Energy performance of domestic cold appliances in laboratory and home environments

Energy used by domestic refrigerators can be a large part of household energy use. In most countries, consumers are informed of the energy used by their appliance through energy labels or manufacturers data provided with the appliance. Work was carried out to ascertain whether the information provided to consumers provided an accurate reflection on the energy used in real life.Data was extracted from a large-scale survey of the performance of domestic cold appliances. Information on temperature control and electricity consumption as well as information about the appliances was collected in the survey. In total 998 appliances were examined, of which 124 were used for the analysis in this paper. For each of these appliances, the electricity measured by the appliance manufacturer in a test laboratory was compared to the energy consumed in the home. Sixty-one percent of appliances consumed more energy in the home than the laboratory. The rank order of energy used by appliances was also assessed and found to vary considerably between the laboratory and the home. A more transparent test method to assess performance of refrigerated appliances in the home is suggested.

A study on household energy-use patterns in rural, semi-urban and urban areas of Nepal based on field survey

Energy use is required for securing a certain living standard. Availability of energy sources, electricity in particular, is the basic requirement for the quality of living. The rationality of household energy use is not only for improving individual living conditions, but also for the economic growth of a nation. To formulate the national energy strategy plan, it is important to know the current energy use and availability conditions. This study describes the current state of household energy use available from related papers and also from a field survey on household energy use including electricity use. We have collected the data in the form of electricity bills, family income, family size, the number of electric appliances, and energy use for lighting, cooking, heating and cooling from 442 households in Kalikot, Chitwan and Kathmandu districts of Nepal. The monthly rate of firewood use was found 2.08 GJ/household/month in rural areas, which is quite higher than other developing countries. The average electricity use of all areas in Nepal was 2.06 GJ/household/year, which is quite low compared to developed and even other developing countries. The electricity is used mainly for lighting purpose in the rural area, while it was also used to run other electric appliances in semi-urban and urban areas. By analyzing the data, it was found that the amount of electricity use was a function of household income level, occupation, family size and educational level of household responsible person. The educational level of people was correlated to the use of light-emitting diode lamps. The result of this series of survey should be useful for future planning of household energy management in the Nepalese society.

Assessment of multiple-based demand response actions for peak residential electricity reduction in Ghana

Demand-side management initiatives such as voluntary demand response provide significant energy savings in the residential sector, which is a major peak demand contributor. The potential of such savings remains unexplored in Ghanaian households due to insufficient electricity consumption data, lack of end-user behavior information and knowledge about the cost-effectiveness of such programs. This research combines 80 household survey information and energy use monitoring data of household appliances, to assess the residential demand response potential of Ghana. A bottom-up approach based on modified end-use model is used to develop aggregate hourly load curve. The estimated electricity consumption is categorized based on their degree of control to determine peak demand reduction potential for the period 2018-2050. The average daily peak load reduction ranged between 65-406 MW representing 2-14% for the considered scenarios by 2050. The results show appreciable economic viability for investment in demand response with net present value varying between 28-645 million US$. We find that price, energy security and environment signals influence end-users’ electricity use behavior. Authors observe that for energy and cost savings to be realized, utility providers and consumers need effective cooperation on information delivery and feedbacks, and consumers should be incentivized to balance the benefits.

Does urbanization lead to less residential energy consumption? A comparative study of 136 countries

The impact of urbanization on residential energy consumption is insufficiently understood. By employing a panel dataset of 136 countries during 1990–2015, this study examines the influence of urbanization on residential energy use worldwide, and how the magnitudes of influence vary across regions by taking into account regional heterogeneity and stages of urbanization. Our findings indicate that the impact of urbanization on residential energy consumption tends to vary greatly across regions in different urbanization stages. Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are at the acceleration stage of urbanization characterized by rapid population migration to urban areas without the corresponding economic growth. This feature of urbanization leads to a decrease in aggregate consumption. In contrast, the urbanization in developing regions in Asia and the Middle East & North Africa, which has been accompanied by booming economies, can increase aggregate residential energy consumption. Surprisingly, for highly urbanized regions, including the developed regions of the world, Latin America & the Caribbean, and the developing regions in Europe & Central Asia, the urbanzation impact seemingly becomes nonsignificant because of the narrow gap between urban and rural energy use in the residential sector. Based on these findings, we make four key policy suggections, including evaluating fiscal sustainability of household energy transition programs on a cost-benefit basis, developing a suite of customized options for household energy use and orderly transition process, encouraging bottom-up initiatives for adopting clean energy in residential sector, and sharing a public monitoring and planning platform.

Young urban households in Shanghai, China: Characteristics of energy use and attitudes

Current domestic energy saving policies are mainly focused on building fabrics and domestic appliances, with less attention to address occupants’ energy use behaviour and their attitudes towards potential policies. This study aims to address the gap in understanding domestic energy use through a survey in Shanghai, which focuses on the characteristics of energy use in urban households, the demographics of high energy consumers, and attitudes towards energy saving and smart meters. The survey results reveal a great variety within the target group of urban young households, with the average annual power density value of 10.9 kW h/m2/occupancy, between 2.0 to 35.7 kW h/m2/occupancy, varying by a factor of about 17.8. Intensive energy use results from stricter comfort standards and longer heating and cooling periods. For the targeted high energy consumers, real-time electricity pricing is suggested as an effective policy instrument. The respondents are more likely to agree with policy instruments of fiscal incentives and communication, rather than consumption or price control. The overall research results could be used by policy-makers in the design of energy saving policies relating to smart meters and contribute to the development of a more sustainable city in China.

Of jobs, skills, and values: Exploring rural household energy use and solar photovoltaics in poverty alleviation areas in China

Based on 1251 household surveys collected in photovoltaic (PV) poverty alleviation areas in rural China, this paper explores the effects of PV cognition including ecological values, perceived behavioural control and social factors on household energy use behaviour by using binary logit regression. The results indicate that: (1) off-farm employment is an important factor influencing household energy choice by reducing the probability of using traditional fossil fuels and increasing the probability of using clean energy; (2) life skills or literacy training and farmers’ cooperatives are beneficial to promoting the use of solar energy, and democratic participation and power supply stability can also promote the use of clean energy, so as to reduce the use of traditional fossil fuels; (3) ecological values and perceived behavioural control have no significant impact on the use of solar energy but show significant positive effects on energy-saving behaviour.

Spotlight on energy efficiency in Oregon: Investigating dynamics between energy use and socio-demographic characteristics in spatial modeling of residential energy consumption

As the state of Oregon transitions to a low-carbon economy, households currently experiencing a high energy cost burden may be vulnerable to future energy price fluctuations. To identify areas susceptible to high energy burden, this study models household energy use intensity on a census-tract level in Oregon. Findings are compared with housing, racial, and sociodemographic characteristics to explore factors associated with high energy use. Finally, energy cost index is constructed and mapped to identify census tracts vulnerable to high energy burden for targeted program and policy development. Study results reveal that census tracts with higher level of energy use intensity have higher percent of older housing, low-income households, households experiencing energy burden, and populations of racial minorities and without high school diploma. This research advances our understanding of differences in energy consumption across diverse population groups and provides detailed information on energy use and energy cost burden for state-level policymaking.

Exploring the role of positive direct experience in the adoption of energy efficient technologies: evidence from a Swiss field study on the promotion of low-flow showerheads

Despite the considerable potential of low-flow showerheads to reduce household energy demand, their widespread implementation is still far from being realised. In this study, we compare the joint effect of a contextually embedded intervention in a public swimming pool to promote low-flow showerheads coupled with a mass campaign by a Swiss city’s utility to the stand-alone effect of the mass campaign. We also explore the factors that influence the outcome of the contextually embedded intervention. The quasi-experimental design of the study was possible due to the co-occurring installation of low-flow showerheads in a local public swimming pool and a campaign of a local utility, which offered low-flow showerheads for domestic use at a substantially reduced price. Our findings showed that the combined intervention was substantially more effective than the mass campaign alone. However, this result has to be interpreted with caution owing to the imperfect comparability of the two campaigns. Based on a survey of 402 swimming pool visitors, the study findings demonstrate the crucial role of a positive direct experience in the promotion of low-flow showerheads. This had a significant positive impact on attitudes towards low-flow showerheads, which in turn was found to be the most important determinant of purchase intention. The results suggest that more active communication of energy efficiency measures in public facilities might contribute to reductions in household energy use. Such campaigns can be used to share experiences of energy efficiency technologies and, therefore, promote the use of similar systems at home.

The Transition to Improved Water-Related Energy Management: Enabling Contexts for Policy Innovation

We explored the potential for improved policy and regulation with a direct focus on household water-related energy (WRE) management in urban Victoria (Australia). Semi-structured interviews were employed to understand the perspectives of relevant actors within the existing institutional landscape. In this paper, questions about institutional and policy change are addressed through consideration of the literature on transitions management and institutional entrepreneurship. Key policy opportunities identified by the actors include consumer education and advocacy for behaviour change and technology adoption, and further development of residential building standards to improve the selection and layout of building services at the design phase. The work highlights medium-term opportunities to create an enabling environment for policy practitioners in Victoria to improve management of water-related energy use in households. The work provides an important new perspective on transitions theory in the field of integrated resources management.

Making energy surveys more impactful: Testing material and non-monetary response strategies

Recent years have seen a growth in energy research that integrates social and behavioural sciences. A core component of this work involves collecting human data, commonly via surveys and field experiments. But there are often barriers to recruiting large and representative samples of participants, with sampling bias and non-response error posing threats to validity. Identifying cost-effective ways to increase participation in energy research is therefore important for strengthening the rigor, utility and generalisability of studies in this area. To this end, the current study harnesses an experimental design to test pathways for making energy surveys more impactful – specifically by improving response rates and times, lowering sampling bias, and enhancing overall cost-effectiveness. As part of a postal survey on household energy use in Australia, a set of randomised controlled trials were conducted to test the impact of four strategies: incentives, an envelope message, a handwritten sticky note, and a reminder postcard. A 3 x 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design was applied to assess both individual and interactive effects. While material incentives in the form of an upfront token gift and prize draw were ineffective in improving response relative to the control survey, results revealed that a handwritten sticky note expressing upfront thanks for participating – designed to serve as an intrinsically motivating attentional cue – improved both the rate and timeliness of response. Three combinations of strategies yielded significantly higher response rates than the control, but they were more expensive on a ‘dollar cost per response’ basis. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Gaseous Emissions from Household Cooking Devices: A Kenyan Case Study.

In developing countries, household energy use is highly variable and complex, yet emissions arising from fuel combustion indoors are typically poorly quantified. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are emitted during the combustion of organic fuels such as charcoal and biomass. In the present study, multichannel polydimethylsiloxane rubber traps were used for gas-phase PAH sampling and extracted using a low-solvent volume plunger-assisted solvent extraction method. Sixteen US Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs, primarily in the gas phase, were investigated in indoor air of rural and urban residential homes in coastal Kenya (Mombasa and Taita Taveta Counties) using typical combustion devices of each area. Average gaseous PAH concentrations per household were higher in rural (ranging 0.81-6.09 µg m-3 ) compared to urban (ranging 0-2.59 µg m-3 ) homes, although ambient PAH concentrations were higher in urban environments, likely attributable to traffic contributions. The impact of fuel choice and thereby combustion device on PAH emissions was very clear, with the highest concentrations of PAHs quantified from wood-burning emissions from 3-stone stoves (total PAH averages 46.23 ± 3.24 µg m-3 [n = 6]). Average benzo[a]pyrene equivalent total concentrations were evaluated for the priority PAHs and ranged from not detected to 43.31, 88.38, 309.61, and 453.88 ng m-3 for gas, kerosene, jiko, 3-stone, and improved 3-stone stoves, respectively. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:538-547. © 2019 SETAC.

Framing Descriptive Norms as Self-Benefit Versus Environmental Benefit: Self-Construal’s Moderating Impact in Promoting Smart Energy Devices

Recently, awareness has been raised concerning the importance of sustainable energy use. Nevertheless, many obstacles must be overcome to change individuals’ energy consumption habits. This study examines how a message should be framed to convince individuals to purchase a smart energy device that provides feedback on household energy use. As such, this device can assist households in adjusting their energy-wasting habits. Through two experimental studies, this paper examines how a descriptive normative message, indicating that the majority of US households have already purchased a smart energy device, can increase individuals’ intention to purchase the device. Both studies consider the moderating influence of the self-construal, which refers to individuals’ consideration of themselves as either part of a group (interdependent self-construal) or independent from others (independent self-construal). The first study (n = 231) reveals that a descriptive norm (versus no norm) leads to a higher purchase intention through an enhanced normative influence regardless of participants’ self-construal. The second study (n = 128) adds to the finding that combining a descriptive norm with a self-benefit (versus environmental) frame more strongly impacts the purchase intent of individuals with a dominant independence. No significant differences are identified between the two benefit frames’ effectiveness among individuals with a dominant interdependence.