Implicit discount rates in residential customer choices: Volume 1, Investments in conservation measures: Final report

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5424243

Goett, A A

Discount rates have been used in a number of energy forecasting models and demand-side analyses as key parameters to predict the adoption rates of energy technologies and their efficiency characteristics. In these applications, there has been considerable controversy both about the concept of discount rates and about what empirical values most accurately represent actual consumer behavior. Given the importance of implicit discount rates in some forecasting models and their widespread use in analysis of the market potential of energy-related durables, EPRI RP-2547 was designed to estimate the magnitude of discount rates for various equipment choices and to evaluate their usefulness as a forecasting parameter. This report summarizes the results of two studies of the discount rates implicit in household decisions to install conservation measures and purchase high efficiency appliances. The first study addressed conservation actions by households using data collected in conjunction with conservation audit programs. This is summarized in this volume of the report.

• Research Organization: Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Berkeley, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5424243
• Report Number(s): EPRI-EM-5587-Vol.1; ON: TI88920210
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320105 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Services-- (1987-)
320603* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Public Utilities-- (1980-)
COST
DATA
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECONOMETRICS
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENERGY CONSERVATION
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
INFORMATION
LOAD MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANNING
PROGRESS REPORT
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
STATISTICAL DATA