Bounded decision making and analytical biases in demand side management
Demand side management (DSM) programs across the United States commonly approach barriers to energy efficiency through technical/economic means and evaluate their impact through technical/economic analysis. To the extent that non-technical barriers exist and influence decision making, they complicate the expected capture of savings. Two utility DSM projects -- Pacific Gas and Electric`s Advanced Customer Technology Test for Maximum Energy Efficiency (ACT{sup 2}) and Bonneville Power Administration`s Energy Edge -- serve as case studies to illustrate how non-technical barriers to specific energy-efficiency measures (EEMs) can limit technical conservation potential. An analysis of rejected EEMs suggest that lessons about non-technical barriers to specific energy-efficiency measures (EEMs) can limit technical conservation potential. An analysis of rejected EEMs suggests that lessons about non-technical barriers may be lost or obscured because of the predominant focus on technical/economic criteria over social, institutional, or cultural constraints. These findings support the need for different evaluation methodologies and further social science research devoted to understanding the non-technical barriers confronted by DSM project participants.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 100420
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-36523; CONF-9408169-11; ON: DE95016444
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) summer conference, Asilomar, CA (United States), 28 Aug - 3 Sep 1994; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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