1 / 6

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is crucial for economic growth, as it enhances productivity while reducing costs. This presentation by Prof. Robert U. Ayres explores the current state of energy efficiency, its economic significance, and strategies for improvement. It highlights how effective energy use (exergy) correlates with economic activity and emphasizes the challenges posed by rebound and backfire effects. The talk also addresses policy recommendations, such as promoting combined heat and power (CHP), encouraging public transport, and setting product standards to foster a more energy-efficient economy.

quamar-barker
Télécharger la présentation

Energy Efficiency

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Energy Efficiency Robert U. Ayres, Prof. Emeritus, INSEAD

  2. Energy Efficiency – Why? • Economic importance • Where do we stand? • What can be done?

  3. Labor and active capital cannot function without energy • Useful energy (exergy) can do work and is productive. Waste energy is unproductive and may be harmful. • Useful work = total exergy input X conversion efficiency. • Economic activity is strongly correlated with efficiency. • Higher efficiency => lower prices => increased demand => economic growth. • Possible problems “rebound” and “backfire”. Example: energy use by ICT. Counter example: housing, automobiles, where energy cost is small compared to other costs. Economic Importance

  4. The economic system can be divided into four major sectors. They exhibit very different efficiencies: Current US efficiencies are estimated as follows: Where do we stand?

  5. Education; increase understanding • Supply side: encourage CHP (compare Denmark vs. ROW), subsidize renewables for a while (Germany) • Demand side: stop energy consumption subsidies; discourage private cars, encourage ESC, car-sharing, public transport, bicycles, etc. • Standards for products (e.g.California vs. ROUS); • Level economic playing field: taxes to reflect cost of externalities; active anti-trust policy What Can be done?

More Related