An Analysis of Department of Energy Residential Appliance Efficiency Standards

Abstract

Over the past several years, the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies have initiated an array of policies aimed at limiting domestic consumption of fossil fuels. Several policy initiatives, aimed at residential fossil-based energy conservation, have included residential appliance efficiency standards, the commercialization of residential applications of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations and solar thermal appliances, and the implementation of energy performance standards for buildings. Each of these programs alone will reduce residential fossil fuel consumption. However, it remains unclear how they interact. In this article I examine how two programs may interact. In particular, I assess how well appliance efficiency standards will reduce fuel consumption and whether a standards program will conflict with or complement the DOE's PV commercialization efforts.

Keywords

Appliance efficiency standards Residential energy demand Solar PV

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Hartman

Raymond S.

“A Model of Residential Energy Demand.” MIT Energy Laboratory Working Paper No. MIT-EL 79-041WP. August 1979a.

Hartman

Raymond S.

“Discrete Consumer Choice Among Alternative Fuels and Technologies for Residential Energy Using Appliances.” MIT Energy Laboratory Working Paper No. MIT-EL 79-049WP. August 1979b.

Hartman

Raymond S.

“Frontiers in Energy Demand Modeling.” Annual Review of Energy 4 (1979c): 433-466.

Hartman

Raymond S.

“The Incorporation of Solar Photovoltaics into a Model of Residential Energy Demand.” MIT Energy Laboratory Working Paper No. MIT-EL 80-014WP. May 1980a.

Hartman

Raymond S.

“Department of Energy Appliance Efficiency Standards—An Overview.” In Papers and Proceedings, Second Annual North American Meeting of the International Association of Energy Economists. October 1980b.

Hausman

Jerry A.

“Individual Discount Rates and the Purchase and Utilization of Energy-Using Durables.” The Bell Journal of Economics 10, no. 1 (Spring 1979): 33-54.

Hausman

Kinnucan

McFadden

“A Two-Level Electricity Demand Model: Evaluation of the Connecticut Time-of-Day Pricing Test.” Journal of Econometrics (1979).

Hirst

Eric

. “Effects of the National Energy Act on Energy Use and Economics in Residential and Commercial Buildings.” Energy Systems and Policy 3, no. 2 (1979): 171-190.

Hirst

Eric

Carney

Janet

. The ORNL Engineering-Economic Model of Residential Energy Use. Oak Ridge National Laboratory Report ORNL/CON-24. July 1978.

10.

Longenecker

Jane

. “Another Cost-Benefits Dispute Erupts—This Time over Efficiency of Appliances.” National Journal (December 1979): 2065-2067.

11.

MIT Energy Laboratory and Lincoln Laboratory . Residential Application Plan: United States Department of Energy Photovoltaics Program. February 1979

12.

Saltzman

Daniel

. “The Development of Capital Cost and Efficiency Data for Residential Energy-Using Equipment.” MIT Energy Laboratory Working Paper No. MIT-EL 79-059WP. October 1979.

13.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products: Draft Regulatory Analysis. Technical Support Document No. 1, DOE/CS-0172, Dist. Cat. UC-13. June 1980a.

14.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products: Environmental Assessment. Technical Support Document No. 2, DOE/CS-0168, Dist. Cat. UC-13. June 1980b.

15.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products: Certification/Enforcement Analysis. Technical Support Document No. 3, DOE/CS-0170, Dist. Cat. UC-13. June 1980c.

16.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products: Economic Analysis. Technical Support Document No. 4, DOE/CS-0169, Dist. Cat. UC-13. June 1980d.

17.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products: Engineering Analysis Assessment. Technical Support Document No. 5, DOE/CS-0166, Dist. Cat. UC-13. June 1980e.