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Does Retrofitted Insulation Reduce Household Energy Use? Theory and Practice

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  • Arthur Grimes, Nicholas Preval, Chris Young, Richard Arnold, Tim Denne, Philippa Howden-Chapman, and Lucy Telfar-Barnard

Abstract

We analyze the household energy use impacts of a large-scale, universally available, subsidized retrofit insulation and clean heat scheme. Theory shows that the energy-saving effects of such schemes are ambiguous. Our difference-in-difference model of energy impacts resulting from each of insulation and clean heat treatment uses a sample of more than 12,000 treated houses. Retrofitted insulation treatment under the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart program resulted in a statistically significant reduction in metered household energy consumption of almost 2%. Clean heat (heat pump) treatment resulted in increased electricity use but little change in total metered energy use other than at warmer temperatures, when heat pumps may have been used as air conditioners. Actual energy savings from insulation are approximately one-third of the modeled energy savings predicted by an engineering model.

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  • Arthur Grimes, Nicholas Preval, Chris Young, Richard Arnold, Tim Denne, Philippa Howden-Chapman, and Lucy Telfar-Barnard, 2016. "Does Retrofitted Insulation Reduce Household Energy Use? Theory and Practice," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4).
    • Handle: RePEc:aen:journl:ej37-4-grimes
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    Cited by:

    1. Ralph Chapman & Nicholas Preval & Philippa Howden-Chapman, 2017. "How Economic Analysis Can Contribute to Understanding the Links between Housing and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Miriam Berretta & Joshua Furgeson & Yue (Nicole) Wu & Collins Zamawe & Ian Hamilton & John Eyers, 2021. "Residential energy efficiency interventions: A meta‐analysis of effectiveness studies," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), December.
    3. Liang, Jing & Qiu, Yueming & James, Timothy & Ruddell, Benjamin L. & Dalrymple, Michael & Earl, Stevan & Castelazo, Alex, 2018. "Do energy retrofits work? Evidence from commercial and residential buildings in Phoenix," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 726-743.
    4. Dorothee Charlier and Berangere Legendre, 2019. "A Multidimensional Approach to Measuring Fuel Poverty," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    5. Lang, Ghislaine & Lanz, Bruno, 2022. "Climate policy without a price signal: Evidence on the implicit carbon price of energy efficiency in buildings," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    6. Kerr, Niall & Gouldson, Andy & Barrett, John, 2017. "The rationale for energy efficiency policy: Assessing the recognition of the multiple benefits of energy efficiency retrofit policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 212-221.
    7. Yujie Xu & Vivian Loftness & Edson Severnini, 2021. "Using Machine Learning to Predict Retrofit Effects for a Commercial Building Portfolio," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-24, July.
    8. Xiao Han & Chu Wei, 2021. "Household energy consumption: state of the art, research gaps, and future prospects," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 12479-12504, August.
    9. Arik Levinson, 2014. "How Much Energy Do Building Energy Codes Really Save? Evidence from California," NBER Working Papers 20797, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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