Skip to main content

Market Barriers to Energy Efficiency

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Energy Efficiency

Part of the book series: Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN))

Abstract

Market barriers to energy efficiency come from various aspects including social psychology, organizational theory, system perspective, and economic concepts. Widely covering these aspects, this book classifies 11 barriers to energy efficiency investments in the energy market. These barriers include fossil energy subsidies in the energy market, high transaction costs for small- and medium-sized energy efficiency project investment, distorted market for energy efficiency investments, high risk for local banks to release low-interest loans to small- and medium-sized enterprises, and lack of capacity to develop and implement energy efficiency projects in developing countries. Fortunately, these barriers can be unlocked by various proven measures. These measures include, but not limited to, implementing government energy pricing reforms, using program approach to cutting down transaction costs for small projects, creating transparent and competitive energy markets through effective government policies and regulations, lowering interest rates of bank loans by establishing de-risk funds at local banks, and building capacities for developing countries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Blumstein C, Kreig B, Schipper L, York C (1980) Overcoming social and institutional barriers to energy efficiency. Energy 5(4):355–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeCanio SJ (1993) Barriers within firms to energy efficient investments. Energy Policy 21(9):906–914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foxon T (2003) Inducing innovation for a low-carbon future: drivers, barriers and policies. Carbon Trust, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Golove W, Eto J (1996) Market barriers to energy efficiency: a critical reappraisal of the rationale for public policies to promote energy efficiency, LBL-38059, UC-1322, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris R, Carmen J (1991) The political economy of regulation: an analysis of market failures. In: Sethi SP, Steidlmeier P, Falbe CM (eds) Scaling the corporate wall. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs

    Google Scholar 

  • IEA—International Energy Agency (2007) Lights labour’s lost. OECD, Paris. https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/name,3644,en.html

  • IMF—International Monitory Fund (2013) Reforming energy subsidies IMF policy advice. http://www.imf.org/external/np/fad/subsidies/index.htm. March 27. Cited 26 July 2014

  • Montalvo C (2008) General wisdom concerning the factors affecting the adoption of cleaner technologies: a survey 1990–2007. J Cleaner Prod 16(1):S7–S13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer J (2009) Placing barriers to industrial energy efficiency in a social context: a discussion of lifestyle categorization. Energ Effi 2:263–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruderman H, Levine M, McMahon J (1987) The behavior of the market for energy efficiency in residential appliances including heating and cooling equipment. Energ J 8(1):101–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sorrell S, Schleich J, Scott S, O’Malley E, Trace F, Boede U, Ostertag K, Radgen P (2000) Barriers to energy efficiency in public and private organisations. SPRU (Science and Technology Policy Research), University of Sussex, Brighton

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorrell S, Schleich J, O’Malley E, Scott S (2004) The economics of energy efficiency: barriers to cost-effective investment. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (2002) Capacity building for sustainable development: an overview of UNEP environmental capacity development initiatives. ISBN: 92-807-2266-2. Printed by UNEP

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang M (2006) Energy efficiency policy impact in India: case study of investment in industrial energy efficiency. Energy Policy 34(17):3104–3114. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2005.05.014

  • Yang M (2009) Energy efficiency improving opportunities in a large Chinese shoe-making enterprise. Energy Policy 38(1):452–462. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2009.09.036

  • Yang M (2013) Closing the gap: GEF experiences in global energy efficiency. Springer, New York. ISBN 978-1-4471-4516-5. http://www.springer.com/engineering/energy+technology/book/978-1-4471-4515-8

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ming Yang .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer-Verlag London

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Yang, M., Yu, X. (2015). Market Barriers to Energy Efficiency. In: Energy Efficiency. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6666-5_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6666-5_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-6665-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-6666-5

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics