Tackling the energy efficiency gap in the Irish residential sector

Author:

O'Callaghan Andrew1,Purcell Karl2,Hemmingway Phil3

Affiliation:

1. Programme Assistant, Behavioural Economics Unit, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland (corresponding author: )

2. Programme Manager, Behavioural Economics Unit, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

3. Head, Low Carbon Technologies, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Abstract

The residential sector holds significant potential for improvements in energy efficiency in Ireland. Retrofit activity, however, can be difficult to instigate despite the presence of government incentives and cost-effective investment opportunities. The failure of individuals and organisations to invest in cost-effective energy efficiency measures is often referred to as ‘the energy efficiency gap’. Here, two separate, but not mutually exclusive, potential contributing factors for this phenomenon are discussed in detail: behavioural anomalies and modelling miscalculations. The relevance of these factors in the context of the Irish residential sector is introduced, and this is followed by a review of intervention literature seeking to increase energy efficiency programme adoption rates by addressing behavioural failures. An examination of domestic and international evidence shows a consistent overestimation by ex-ante models of energy-saving benefits. The paper concludes that addressing behavioural and informational factors can have a positive influence on energy efficiency adoption, but this needs to be complemented with additional policy measures to sufficiently rectify current low rates of uptake in the Irish residential sector. Simultaneously, further action will be needed to better calibrate engineering models using data gathered from ex-post field experiments.

Publisher

Thomas Telford Ltd.

Subject

General Energy

Cited by 3 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. Socio-economic inequalities in climate policies: unpacking energy efficiency barriers in low-income households;Journal of Asian Public Policy;2024-07-15

2. What is stopping low-carbon buildings? A global review of enablers and barriers;Energy Research & Social Science;2021-12

3. Editorial;Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Energy;2020-05

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