Stimulating Energy Conservation by Sharing the Savings: A Community-Based Approach

Abstract

In this paper a novel shared-savings approach to residential energy conservation is evaluated. By the use of data on preretrofit and postretrofit energy consumption, a normalization procedure to control for weather, and control groups, it is concluded that the shared-savings program (RECAP) has reduced annual electricity consumption by 1556 kWh per household, or 6.6% of preretrofit consumption. Energy savings differ markedly across the four communities served by RECAP, and are only weakly associated with installation costs. Savings are greater where audits are used to select participants with significant potential for conservation; households with large preretrofit electricity consumption generate particularly large savings. Regression analysis of survey data suggests that the net impact of behavioral and household changes upon electricity savings is minimal.