IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eneeco/v124y2023ics014098832300258x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Consumption and production of cleaner energy by prosumers

Author

Listed:
  • Fikru, Mahelet G.
  • Gautier, Luis

Abstract

As investments in small-scale energy generating systems, such as residential rooftop photovoltaics (PV), increase it is not clear how electricity generated from these systems affects energy consumption decisions such as the purchase of green electricity offered by electric utilities. We present two utility-maximization models to determine energy consumption and production decisions and conduct simulations to test the strength of relationships. The first model maximizes a prosumer’s utility function where the size of PV is exogenous. The second model presents a prosumer that makes decisions in two stages — utility maximization to determine energy consumption and net revenue maximization to determine size of the generation system. Results from the exogenous model suggest that while there is a positive correlation between PV system size and total energy consumption, the impact on green electricity purchases (non-negative) is very weak. When the prosumer optimally chooses her system size, the optimal size increases with electricity prices. These results have implications for achieving decarbonization goals through an energy transition.

Suggested Citation

  • Fikru, Mahelet G. & Gautier, Luis, 2023. "Consumption and production of cleaner energy by prosumers," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:124:y:2023:i:c:s014098832300258x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2023.106760
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014098832300258X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.eneco.2023.106760?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Axel Gautier & Julien Jacqmin & Jean-Christophe Poudou, 2018. "The prosumers and the grid," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 100-126, February.
    2. Deng, Gary & Newton, Peter, 2017. "Assessing the impact of solar PV on domestic electricity consumption: Exploring the prospect of rebound effects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 313-324.
    3. Fujiwara, Kenji, 2009. "Environmental policies in a differentiated oligopoly revisited," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 239-247, August.
    4. Boccard, Nicolas & Gautier, Axel, 2021. "Solar rebound: The unintended consequences of subsidies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    5. Mewton, Ross T. & Cacho, Oscar J., 2011. "Green Power voluntary purchases: Price elasticity and policy analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 377-385, January.
    6. Sundt, Swantje & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2015. "Consumers' willingness to pay for green electricity: A meta-analysis of the literature," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1-8.
    7. Borchers, Allison M. & Xiarchos, Irene & Beckman, Jayson, 2014. "Determinants of wind and solar energy system adoption by U.S. farms: A multilevel modeling approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 106-115.
    8. Hughes, Larry & Bell, Jeff, 2006. "Compensating customer-generators: a taxonomy describing methods of compensating customer-generators for electricity supplied to the grid," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(13), pages 1532-1539, September.
    9. Matthew J. Kotchen, 2006. "Green Markets and Private Provision of Public Goods," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 114(4), pages 816-845, August.
    10. Orioli, Aldo & Di Gangi, Alessandra, 2013. "Load mismatch of grid-connected photovoltaic systems: Review of the effects and analysis in an urban context," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 13-28.
    11. Welsch, Heinz & Kühling, Jan, 2009. "Determinants of pro-environmental consumption: The role of reference groups and routine behavior," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 166-176, November.
    12. Qiu, Yueming & Kahn, Matthew E. & Xing, Bo, 2019. "Quantifying the rebound effects of residential solar panel adoption," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 310-341.
    13. Fikru, Mahelet G. & Gelles, Gregory & Ichim, Ana-Maria & Kimball, Jonathan W. & Smith, Joseph D. & Zawodniok, Maciej Jan, 2018. "An economic model for residential energy consumption, generation, storage and reliance on cleaner energy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 429-438.
    14. Conte, Marc N. & Jacobsen, Grant D., 2016. "Explaining Demand for Green Electricity Using Data from All U.S. Utilities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 122-130.
    15. Beckman, Jayson & Xiarchos, Irene M., 2013. "Why are Californian farmers adopting more (and larger) renewable energy operations?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 322-330.
    16. Torsten J. Gerpott & Ilaha Mahmudova, 2010. "Determinants of price mark‐up tolerance for green electricity – lessons for environmental marketing strategies from a study of residential electricity customers in Germany," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(5), pages 304-318, July.
    17. Li, Jiaming, 2019. "Optimal sizing of grid-connected photovoltaic battery systems for residential houses in Australia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 1245-1254.
    18. Wiser, Ryan H., 2007. "Using contingent valuation to explore willingness to pay for renewable energy: A comparison of collective and voluntary payment vehicles," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(3-4), pages 419-432, May.
    19. Kotchen, Matthew J. & Moore, Michael R., 2007. "Private provision of environmental public goods: Household participation in green-electricity programs," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 1-16, January.
    20. Kaenzig, Josef & Heinzle, Stefanie Lena & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2013. "Whatever the customer wants, the customer gets? Exploring the gap between consumer preferences and default electricity products in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 311-322.
    21. Rohan Best & Paul J. Burke & Shuhei Nishitateno, 2019. "Understanding the determinants of rooftop solar installation: evidence from household surveys in Australia," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(4), pages 922-939, October.
    22. Kim, Jae D. & Trevena, William, 2021. "Measuring the rebound effect: A case study of residential photovoltaic systems in San Diego," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    23. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2018. "An Empirical Analysis of Green Electricity Adoption Among Residential Consumers in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fikru, Mahelet G. & Canfield, Casey, 2024. "Choosing both/and: Encouraging green energy purchases in community choice aggregation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    2. Cardella, Eric & Ewing, Brad & Williams, Ryan Blake, 2018. "Green is Good – The Impact of Information Nudges on the Adoption of Voluntary Green Power Plans," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266583, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    3. Bae, Jeong Hwan & Rishi, Meenakshi, 2018. "Increasing consumer participation rates for green pricing programs: A choice experiment for South Korea," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 490-502.
    4. Motz, Alessandra, 2021. "Consumer acceptance of the energy transition in Switzerland: The role of attitudes explained through a hybrid discrete choice model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    5. Conte, Marc N. & Jacobsen, Grant D., 2016. "Explaining Demand for Green Electricity Using Data from All U.S. Utilities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 122-130.
    6. Oerlemans, Leon A.G. & Chan, Kai-Ying & Volschenk, Jako, 2016. "Willingness to pay for green electricity: A review of the contingent valuation literature and its sources of error," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 875-885.
    7. Fikru, Mahelet G. & Canfield, Casey, 2022. "Demand for renewable energy via green electricity versus solar installation in Community Choice Aggregation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 769-779.
    8. Chan, Kai-Ying & Oerlemans, Leon A.G. & Volschenk, Jako, 2015. "On the construct validity of measures of willingness to pay for green electricity: Evidence from a South African case," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 321-328.
    9. Sauthoff, Saramena & Danne, Michael & Mußhoff, Oliver, 2017. "To switch or not to switch? – Understanding German consumers’ willingness to pay for green electricity tariff attributes," Department of Agricultural and Rural Development (DARE) Discussion Papers 260771, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
    10. Edgar Valenzuela & Hector Campbell & Gisela Montero & Marcos A. Coronado & Alejandro A. Lambert-Arista & Carlos Perez-Tello & Víctor H. Ramos-Sanchez, 2021. "Evaluation of Home Energy Efficiency Improvements in a Hot Desert Climate in Northwestern Mexico: The Energy Saving vs. Money Saving Conflict," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-9, November.
    11. Tabi, Andrea & Hille, Stefanie Lena & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2014. "What makes people seal the green power deal? — Customer segmentation based on choice experiment in Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 206-215.
    12. L. Mundaca & H. Moncreiff, 2021. "New Perspectives on Green Energy Defaults," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 357-383, September.
    13. Litvine, Dorian & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2011. "Helping "light green" consumers walk the talk: Results of a behavioural intervention survey in the Swiss electricity market," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 462-474, January.
    14. Liu, Diyi & Zou, Hongyang & Qiu, Yueming & Du, Huibin, 2024. "Consumer reaction to green subsidy phase-out in China: Evidence from the household photovoltaic industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    15. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2019. "Do Consumers Want to Pay for Green Electricity? A Case Study from Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, March.
    16. Frondel, Manuel & Kaestner, Kathrin & Sommer, Stephan & Vance, Colin, 2022. "Photovoltaics and the solar rebound: Evidence for Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 954, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    17. Ma, Chunbo & Burton, Michael, 2016. "Warm glow from green power: Evidence from Australian electricity consumers," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 106-120.
    18. Boccard, Nicolas & Gautier, Axel, 2021. "Solar rebound: The unintended consequences of subsidies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    19. Dagher, Leila & Bird, Lori & Heeter, Jenny, 2017. "Residential green power demand in the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(PB), pages 1062-1068.
    20. Edyta Ropuszyńska-Surma & Magdalena Węglarz & Janusz Szwabiński, 2018. "Energy prosumers. Profiling the energy microgeneration market in Lower Silesia, Poland," Operations Research and Decisions, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Management, vol. 28(1), pages 75-94.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Photovoltaics; Net metering; Energy demand; Rebound effect; Solar policy; Energy transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:124:y:2023:i:c:s014098832300258x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eneco .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.