Energy Efficiency最新文献

{"title":"Income/gender inequality and energy use in the European Union","authors":"Mihaela Simionescu,&nbsp;Bogdan Oancea","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10314-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10314-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the context of energy crisis, the impact of household energy consumption on income and gender inequality in the European Union is a new challenge. The main aim of this study is related to the evaluation of the impact of energy consumption on Gini index as a measure of income inequality and on gender pay gap as a measure of gender inequality in the European Union. The baseline results for the period 2000–2021 based on dynamic panel data models indicate that more final energy consumption in households per capita reduced Gini index, but increased gender pay gap. For checking robustness of the results, a shorter period was considered (2010–2021) and the impact of final energy consumption on Gini index became positive. If various types of energy sources (natural gas, gas oil, gas diesel) and various purposes are considered for energy consumption (energy for heat, energy for ambiental heat) the evidence for the impact on Gini index and gender pay gap is mixed in the period 2010–2021. Besides these results based on dynamic panel data models, this study brings as novelty for literature the analysis of causal relationships between various types of energy consumption and income/gender inequality using a specific panel causality test that allow heterogenous parameters and Bayesian networks. The policy recommendations based on these results refer to the reduction of energy consumption in times of energy crisis to ensure less income and gender inequality.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10314-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of energy performance certificates and energy-related financial literacy in choosing an energy-efficient home: Evidence from Slovenian homeowners","authors":"Ivana Jovović,&nbsp;Nevenka Hrovatin,&nbsp;Jelena Zorić","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10320-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10320-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Energy performance certificates serve to inform the public about the energy performance of buildings in a standardised way. Although there have been influential studies about energy performance certificates, their effectiveness in improving household energy efficiency by reducing information barriers has been underexplored. This paper addresses this gap with evidence from Slovenia, an EU member state using empirical data from an online survey. We employed discrete choice models to analyse a representative sample of 2,484 Slovenian homeowners. We find that financial literacy and correct life-cycle cost calculation positively and significantly influence the likelihood of selecting an energy-efficient home. The same results apply to the integrated concept of energy-related financial literacy. In addition, providing information in monetary terms, rather than in kWh per square meter, does not significantly impact the respondents’ decision, while trust in the energy performance certificates is a decisive factor in the choice of an energy-efficient home and thus plays an important role in their effectiveness. The obtained results advocate for the simplification of energy performance certificates and the enhancement of information campaigns to foster trust and improve energy literacy, which is found to be very low.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10320-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143740931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Energy efficiency gap and the limits to the effectiveness of non-price interventions: making the case for residential energy efficiency","authors":"Sunderasan Srinivasan","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10316-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10316-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>While ensuring efficient use of available energy is generally desirable with obvious benefits, consumers are known to be challenged with having to forecast equipment-utilization rates, evolution in applicable tariffs, savings accruing from EE equipment and other parameter values, and then to discount such streams to compare energy efficiency (EE) attributes of alternative options. Given such limitations, consumption from heightened equipment use (“rebound”) and, on occasion, higher than previous consumption (“back fire”) therefore reduce or negate the welfare effects from residential EE incentive programs. EE labels and other means to provide information have been used to overcome consumer ‘inattention’, and to attempt to convert EE procurement into ‘credence purchases’ – where equipment is purchased on faith in the label. The limits to such information campaigns (“nudge initiatives”) have been exposed in recent years. On the supply side, raising tariffs across the board might be politically unsustainable, and might not always lead to lower energy consumption, given the relative inelasticity of demand, especially in the context of residential end-use. Following a detailed review of relevant EE initiatives, the present paper advocates a mix of contemporary information signals that contribute first to <i>decision utility</i> with traditional price signals and those that impact the end-users’ <i>experience utility.</i> The paper posits that this two-pronged approach could eventually serve to shift discretionary consumption from peak to off-peak hours and subject to consumers’ budget constraints, to help conserve on energy used.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143740930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consumer purchases of energy-efficient appliances: A systematic literature review and research agenda","authors":"Hoang Viet Nguyen,&nbsp;Bao Ngoc Le,&nbsp;Weng Marc Lim,&nbsp;Thac Dang-Van,&nbsp;Ninh Nguyen","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10317-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10317-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Energy consumption has been identified as the key contributor to carbon dioxide emissions and the depletion of natural resources. Promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances is crucial for environmental sustainability. While numerous studies have explored consumer purchase decisions regarding energy-efficient appliances, the literature remains broad and fragmented. Anchoring in the Theory–Context–Characteristics–Methods (TCCM) framework, this systematic literature review aims to synthesize the available research and offer a complete overview of the current state of research into consumer purchases of energy-efficient appliances. Conducting a thorough analysis of 142 empirical studies, this study uncovers that the Theory of Planned Behavior is the most frequently used framework, and most studies adopted quantitative methods and focused on emerging Asian countries (e.g., China, Pakistan, and Malaysia). In addition, this study also points out socio-demographic, psychographic, situational, and marketing-related factors that affect consumer purchase behavior toward energy-efficient appliances. Based on these findings, this study proposes a research agenda for scholars to advance the research field and practical implications for policymakers, manufacturers, and marketers to encourage the adoption and purchase of energy-efficient products.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10317-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143726651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overview about energy recovery applied to combustion engine focused on biofuels","authors":"Felipe da Silva Frutuoso,&nbsp;Mona Lisa Moura de Oliveira,&nbsp;André Valente Bueno,&nbsp;Ludmila Corrêa de Alkmin e Silva","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10318-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10318-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Hybrid vehicles present promising application prospects, combining the tradition and autonomy of combustion engines with the reliability, efficiency, and environmental appeal of electrification. In Brazil, the eighth-largest vehicle producer globally, up to 70% of the fleet comprises flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), capable of operating with gasoline E27 (27% anhydrous ethanol), hydrous ethanol E100, or any blend, representing a significant portion of the country’s transportation matrix. Energy recovery is an important strategy for power conservation and increasing the efficiency of hybrid vehicles that combine internal combustion engines (ICE) and electric engines with small-capacity batteries, commonly applied in low-level electrification. This paper proposes an overview of technologies for ICE energy recovery to improve hybrid FFVs efficiency, that should be the main strategy for comply new emission legislation in Brazil and others markets in the next years. It employs a two-step approach: a literature review followed by patent analysis. The discussion analyzes advance technologies for recovering ICE energy like turbocharger, hybridization, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI), applied to FFV ICEs. The United States, China and Germany are the countries with the highest number of patents registered in all ICE sub-technologies analyzed. Turbocharging appears to be a well-developed technology while HCCI still has many challenges to be overcome before it can be offered commercially. Hybrid FFVs vehicles using biofuel only or blended with gasoline offer a swift response to the energy transition in the mobility sector towards 100% electrification powertrain and provide a quicky solution for countries like Brazil.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143698582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship between the architectural and constructive characteristics of dwellings and the adaptive actions of their occupants","authors":"Alexis Pérez-Fargallo,&nbsp;Paula Gacitúa-Ferrada,&nbsp;Laura Marín-Restrepo,&nbsp;David Bienvenido-Huertas","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10312-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10312-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>People spend most of their time in enclosed spaces, doing activities, which is why habitable spaces that meet minimum environmental comfort for occupants are sought. In Chile, high levels of energy consumption are needed to reach acceptable comfort levels and, therefore, high costs. For this reason, people use other strategies to maintain comfort, such as actions to adapt, changing elements in the space, or making personal changes such as wearing a sweater before turning on the heating. This study looks to analyze the relationship between the adaptive actions of occupants of dwellings in the Biobío Region and the architectural and constructive characteristics of their homes. Data collection was made using a survey where 72 households took part. The data analysis explored correlations between the studied variables. The results indicated that people perform personal actions before using any environmental ones, with the main factor behind this being the insulation level of the dwellings. This suggests that, in these contexts, people innately employ adaptive actions, generating energy savings.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143688429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of the factors influencing the electricity consumption in a confectionery plant","authors":"Youness Abourriche,&nbsp;Ayoub Tighazoui,&nbsp;Virginie Zint,&nbsp;Bertrand Rose,&nbsp;Jean-François Boudes,&nbsp;Daniel Mauer,&nbsp;Patrick Waldburger","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10313-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10313-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With growing environmental concerns, the management of energy consumption has become a key focus for production firms. Consequently, increased attention has been directed by decision-makers and academic researchers toward modeling and forecasting energy consumption. However, only a limited number of studies have specifically examined electricity consumption modeling for industrial cases. To address this gap, an analysis was conducted to identify the factors influencing electricity consumption in a specific case from the confectionery industry in France. Multiple linear regression and multiple exponential regression techniques were utilized to establish an equation correlating consumption with various influencing factors. By examining a comprehensive set of factors, including production volume, operating hours, ambient temperature, and water flow of air handling units, a thorough understanding of the relationship between these factors and electricity consumption in significant energy uses was achieved. The analysis of data collected from a representative confectionery plant revealed significant correlations between the influencing factors and electricity consumption. Based on the derived equation, a model was proposed to estimate electricity consumption using the values of these influencing factors. Additionally, a user-friendly interface was designed, enabling plant operators to apply the model with ease. The findings of this study motivated the company to explore decarbonization initiatives, leading to notable energy savings and a positive financial impact. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the drivers of electricity consumption in the confectionery industry and offer valuable guidance for developing strategies to optimize energy usage and enhance sustainability in this sector.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143655205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring user engagement and perceptions towards smart energy applications in Norway: Insights from a text mining analysis of user reviews","authors":"Chandra Prakash Paneru,&nbsp;Ari K. M. Tarigan,&nbsp;Cristian Toșa","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10309-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10309-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Smart energy applications can be powerful tools for two-way communication between energy providers and end-users. These apps offer real-time usage insights and present consumption data through intuitive and visually appealing interfaces. In parallel, these platforms allow users to provide ratings, reviews, and comments directly within or via app provision platforms, thereby helping energy providers improve their overall services. Long-term engagement with such energy apps could benefit sustainable energy consumption practices, as such digital platforms can empower users to make informed energy-efficient choices. Nonetheless, there is a lack of a systematic approach to analysing users’ engagement towards such smart energy apps and users’ opinions about their practical functionalities and features. This study examines how users interact with smart energy apps, assess their functionalities, and share their opinions through ratings, reviews, and comments. It offers unique insights into end-user perspectives through advanced text-mining techniques incorporating word analysis, sentiment analysis, topic modelling, and exploratory qualitative analysis. By analysing over 3,000 publicly available user-generated reviews, the research identifies patterns such as monitoring energy consumption, managing appliances, and integrating smart home features like EV charging. The findings highlight diverse motivations for app engagement, extending beyond cost savings to include empowerment, convenience, and alignment with sustainability goals. While users express predominantly positive sentiments about the app’s intuitive design, real-time feedback, and gamification features, reviews also reveal areas for improvement, emphasizing the importance of user-centred design in enhancing app usability and functionality. The findings provide actionable insights for improving app design, advancing smart energy solutions, and informing energy efficiency and conservation initiatives.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10309-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143632556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate resilience strategies for schools in mediterranean areas: is it feasible to condition air merely with ventilation?","authors":"Paolo Maria Congedo,&nbsp;Andrea Palmieri,&nbsp;Cristina Baglivo","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10311-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10311-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Managing energy costs in school buildings across Italy poses a significant challenge. Over time, various directives have aimed to reduce energy consumption and improve indoor air quality to enhance student and teacher performance. This study offers an innovative analysis of the thermal behavior of a school in a typical Mediterranean climate. The building envelope is designed to meet legal standards for thermal transmittance specific to its Italian climate zone. Using Termolog Epix 15 software, the study conducts dynamic annual and hourly simulations to assess operative temperature and relative humidity in classrooms, with the heating system turned off and varying air exchange rates. The results suggest that optimizing the building envelope can be more effective than installing traditional HVAC systems (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) in warm climates, demonstrating the effectiveness of a mechanical ventilation system without heating or cooling. By analyzing the PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) and PPD (Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied) indices, the study demonstrates that it is possible to maintain acceptable thermo-hygrometric comfort through the only ventilation. During winter, with air changes per hour ranging from 1 to 5, classrooms can maintain temperatures between 21 °C and 23 °C, ensuring thermal comfort without heating. Typically, a heating system would operate for approximately 1071 h annually, excluding holidays. However, an effective ventilation system could eliminate the need for heating entirely. While maintaining optimal temperatures in the intermediate months (spring/autumn) and summer is more challenging, this concern is mitigated by the fact that schools are closed during summer holidays.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10311-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143612198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysing energy considerations in residential renovation planning and design: a case study comparison between Denmark and Sweden","authors":"Katharina Reindl,&nbsp;Georgios Pardalis,&nbsp;Daniel Pihl,&nbsp;Jenny Palm","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10310-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10310-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper investigates the dynamics surrounding energy efficiency measures in building renovation projects to understand how energy issues are dealt with at planning and design meetings for building renovations. Through a comparative analysis of case studies of residential building renovation projects in Sweden and Denmark, document studies, observations, and interviews were conducted. The study revealed barriers hindering the effective implementation of energy efficiency practices and discussed how these can be overcome. Despite a growing recognition of the importance of energy issues, professionals often prioritise design aspects and technical installations over energy saving or efficiency. Conventional renovation practices limit the adoption of more innovative or advanced energy-efficient solutions. Financial constraints and a lack of focus on energy performance were significant barriers to the implementation of more progressive measures. Energy calculations as well as energy consultants are not given space and time at the project meetings. Clear guidance and alternative financing mechanisms are crucial for overcoming these hurdles and promoting sustainable building practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10310-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143594768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}