Rebound effect (conservation)

About: Rebound effect (conservation) is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 773 publications have been published within this topic receiving 25741 citations.

The environmental impact of eco-innovations: the case of EU residential electricity use

Abstract: Even though environmental innovations are generally considered a key element towards a green growth strategy, especially for the case of energy efficiency innovations, the impact on climate goals has been subject to a long-running debate. On the one hand, energy efficiency innovations provide a huge cost-effective CO2 reduction potential. On the other hand, increasing energy efficiency implies cost reductions which in turn may lead to increased consumption due to the so-called rebound effect. Our study investigates the long-term environmental impact of energy efficiency innovations on the EU-27 residential electricity demand (excluding heating systems) using a detailed bottom-up modelling approach. Assuming a rebound effect of 10 %, we show that the diffusion of energy efficiency technologies with current policy levels provides savings of around 140 TWh and additional 270 TWh may be saved through additional policy measures accelerating the diffusion and development of new technologies until 2030. By contrast, assuming a (rather pessimistic) rebound effect of 40 %, the savings are reduced to around 95 and 180 TWh until 2030, respectively. We conclude that there is a clear case for ambitious policies to support energy efficiency innovations for the residential sector, which ideally should be complemented by measures to limit the rebound effect.

The effect of energy end-use efficiency improvement on China’s energy use and CO2 emissions: a CGE model-based analysis

Abstract: With its rapid economic growth, China is now confronted with soaring pressure from both its energy supply and the environment. To deal with this conflict, energy end-use efficiency improvement is now promoted by the government as an emphasis for future energy saving. This study explores the general equilibrium effect of energy end-use efficiency improvement on China’s economy, energy use, and CO2 emissions. This paper develops a static, multisector computable general equilibrium model (CGE) for China, with specific detail in energy use and with the embodiment of energy efficiency. In order to explore the ability of subsidizing non-fossil-generated electricity on moderating potential rebound effects, in this model, the electricity sector was deconstructed into five specific generation activities using bottom–up data from the Chinese electricity industry. The model is calibrated into a 16-sector Chinese Social Accounting Matrix for the year 2002. In the analysis, seven scenarios were established: business as usual, solely efficiency improvement, and five policy scenarios (taxing carbon, subsidized hydropower, subsidized nuclear power, combination of taxing carbon and subsidized hydropower, combination of taxing carbon and subsidized nuclear power). Results show that a sectoral-uniform improvement of energy end-use efficiency will increase rather than decrease the total energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The sensitivity analysis of sectoral efficiency improvement shows that efficiency improvements happened in different sectors may have obvious different extents of rebound. The three sectors, whose efficient improvements do not drive-up total national energy use and CO2 emissions, include Iron and Steel, Building Materials, and Construction. Thus, the improvement of energy end-use efficiency should be sectoral specific. When differentiating the sectoral energy-saving goal, not only the saving potential of each sector but also its potential to ease the total rebound should be taken into account. Moreover, since the potential efficiency improvement for a sector over a certain period will be limited, technology measures should work along with a specific policy to neutralize the rebound effect. Results of policy analysis show that one relatively enhanced way is to combine carbon taxing with subsidized hydropower.