May 17th Dartmouth Energy Collaborative Lunch: Can’t Take the Heat? Field Experiments in Residential Energy Conservation

Can’t Take the Heat? Field Experiments in Residential Energy Conservation

In this study, we examine the results of a field experiment on minute level and appliance specific electricity consumption. The experiment took place during critical peak load pricing days in 2013-2014 in a neighborhood in Austin, Texas. The study includes five treatment groups: (i) installation of Nest Thermostat, (ii) setting up an online account to track energy consumption at the appliance level, (iii) sending a text message, (iv) sending an actionable text message, and finally, (v) sending a text message that has peak load pricing information.  The households were randomly assigned to each of the five treatment groups and one control group.  We ran a triple differences model and included household and day fixed effects.  Using data at the appliance-minute-level, we estimate a price elasticity of electricity demand of -0.17, and find that over 60 percent of this response can be attributed to air conditioning. The results of the field experiment are also consistent with more recent research at the intersection of marketing and neuro-science.

Thursday, May 17^th 
12:15pm-1:15pm
Fahey – First Floor Commons

Thank you,
The Dartmouth Energy Collaborative

(The Dartmouth Energy Collaborative is co-sponsored by the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, the Revers Center for Energy and the Dartmouth Sustainability Office)

Please contact Kristin Miller at Kristin.j.miller@Dartmouth.edu with questions.