Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Authors and Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- PART I
- PART II
- Appendix I Fertility and Mortality Assumptions for IIASA Population Projections
- Appendix II Household-level Economies of Scale in Energy Consumption
- Appendix III Population in Major Climate Change Assessment Models
- References
- Index
Appendix II - Household-level Economies of Scale in Energy Consumption
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Authors and Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- PART I
- PART II
- Appendix I Fertility and Mortality Assumptions for IIASA Population Projections
- Appendix II Household-level Economies of Scale in Energy Consumption
- Appendix III Population in Major Climate Change Assessment Models
- References
- Index
Summary
The first task in formulating a reasonable partitioned model is to determine how much energy in more developed countries (MDCs) and less developed countries (LDCs) is consumed at the level of the household. A portion of this amount is then attributed to “household overhead,” that is, that portion of household energy consumption which is independent of the number of members.
MDCs. In MDCs, the residential/commercial sector, the transportation sector, and the industrial sector each account for about one-third of all final energy demand. Direct energy use in homes (i.e., heating, electric appliances, hot water) accounts for 20% of final energy demand or about one-quarter of primary energy (the greater share of primary energy results from the important role of electricity in the household energy supply). If energy for personal transportation (about 15% of primary energy) and energy expended in residential construction and the production of household goods (together about 10% of primary energy) are also assigned to households, it can be estimated that about one-half of all MDC energy use consists of consumption at the level of the household.[1]
Data on US households indicate the presence of strong economies of scale in the residential and transportation sectors. Table A.3 gives the average household expenditure for direct residential and household vehicle energy consumption (EIA, 1990). These two sectors comprise 20% and 13% of total US final energy demand, respectively. Household energy use is related to household size using both linear and log-linear (constant elasticity) relationships.[2] Both specifications indicate that household overhead (the y-intercept) is 40–50% of average household vehicle energy use and 60–65% of direct residential energy use.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Population and Climate Change , pp. 209 - 211Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2000