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U.S. Department of Energy
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Implicit discount rates in residential customer choices: Volume 2, Investments in efficient appliances: Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5651386
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 second study addressed appliance efficiency choices using data from a high efficiency appliance rebate program. This is summarized in this volume of the report.
Research Organization:
Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Berkeley, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
5651386
Report Number(s):
EPRI-EM-5587-Vol.2; ON: TI88920211
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English