This presentation, “Household Adoption of Energy-Efficient Appliances: Evidence from Air Conditioner Purchases,” was created by Zhenxuan Wang (Ph.D. student in public policy, Duke University) as part of the Duke University Energy Data Analytics Ph.D. Student Fellowship Program.

Abstract: “The rapid growth in world energy consumption brings increased local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy-efficient technologies can create substantial economic and environmental benefits by saving the financial costs and mitigating the environmental damages induced by rising energy consumption. Household adoption rate of these cost-effective technologies, however, is still low especially in developing countries due to several market failures and barriers. The increasing availability of big data on consumer choices provides both opportunities and challenges for studying household preferences for energy-efficient technologies. Using a comprehensive air conditioner transaction dataset, my project will develop an empirical method by combining machine learning approach with economic modeling of consumer demand to better understand household adoption of energy-efficient products and improve the out-of-sample prediction of their choices.”

Support for this work was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant G-2020-13922 through the Duke University Energy Data Analytics Ph.D. Student Fellowship.

Note: Conclusions reached or positions taken by researchers or other grantees represent the views of the grantees themselves and not those of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation or its trustees, officers, or staff.

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