TY - JOUR KW - Energy efficiency KW - Energy intensity KW - Efficiency policy KW - Energy efficiency gap KW - Public policy AU - Harry D Saunders AU - Joyashree Roy AU - Inês M.L Azevedo AU - Debalina Chakravarty AU - Shyamasree Dasgupta AU - Stephane de la Rue du Can AU - Angela Druckman AU - Roger Fouquet AU - Michael Grubb AU - Boqiang Lin AU - Robert Lowe AU - Reinhard Madlener AU - Daire M McCoy AU - Luis Mundaca AU - Tadj Oreszczyn AU - Steven Sorrell AU - David Stern AU - Kanako Tanaka AU - Taoyuan Wei AB -

This article presents a critical assessment of 40 years of research that may be brought under the umbrella of energy efficiency, spanning different aggregations and domains—from individual producing and consuming agents to economy-wide effects to the role of innovation to the influence
of policy. After 40 years of research, energy efficiency initiatives are generally perceived as highly effective. Innovation has contributed to lowering energy technology costs and increasing energy productivity. Energy efficiency programs in many cases have reduced energy use per unit of economic output and have been associated with net improvements in welfare, emission reductions, or both. Rebound effects at the macro level still warrant careful policy attention, as they may be nontrivial. Complexity of energy efficiency dynamics calls for further methodological and empirical advances, multidisciplinary approaches, and granular data at the service level for research in this field to be of greatest societal benefit.

BT - Annual Review of Environment and Resources DA - 10/2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-084937 LA - eng N2 -

This article presents a critical assessment of 40 years of research that may be brought under the umbrella of energy efficiency, spanning different aggregations and domains—from individual producing and consuming agents to economy-wide effects to the role of innovation to the influence
of policy. After 40 years of research, energy efficiency initiatives are generally perceived as highly effective. Innovation has contributed to lowering energy technology costs and increasing energy productivity. Energy efficiency programs in many cases have reduced energy use per unit of economic output and have been associated with net improvements in welfare, emission reductions, or both. Rebound effects at the macro level still warrant careful policy attention, as they may be nontrivial. Complexity of energy efficiency dynamics calls for further methodological and empirical advances, multidisciplinary approaches, and granular data at the service level for research in this field to be of greatest societal benefit.

PY - 2021 T2 - Annual Review of Environment and Resources TI - Energy Efficiency: What Has Research Delivered in the Last 40 Years? UR - https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-084937 VL - 46 ER -