Policies for spreading efficient technologies in the field of mass market appliances stakes and methods

Panel: Panel 4: Human Dimensions

Authors:
Philippe Menanteau, Institut d'Economie et de Politique de l'Energie, France
Hervé Lefebvre, Institut d'Economie et de Politique de l'Energie, France

Abstract

Efficient use of electricty has received since few years a great attention from public authorities, giving rise to different kind of actions in order to accelerate the diffusion of efficient energy technologies. These actions has been numerous in the consumer good sector in which buyer? criteria are often complex, but rarely include energy efficiency. Three specific technologies representatives of the different kind of goods that belong to the sector are considered here : compact fluorescent lamps, refrigerators and TV sets. For each technologies, the technical opportunities for energy savings are presented with the barriers that limit the realisation of these potentials, and the behaviour of the main players (industrial fums, distributors, consumers) concerned by the dissemination of efficient appliances. Then, the main policy instruments that has been implemented in order to orientate the market in a sense more favorable to energy efficiency are presented.

The authors insist on the fact that public intervention should be adapted to the various institutional, cultural and socio-economic contexts that prevail in different countries and to the technologies that are considered. A great attention should be paid to the behaviour of players, in particular appliances manufacturers and distributors. Finaly, a decisive impact on efficient appliances dissemination may be obtained if coordinations between public instruments and commercial strategy of industrial firms are looked for.