Residential Building Codes Do Save Energy: Evidence from Hourly Smart-Meter Data

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Novan, Kevin; Smith, Aaron; Zhou, Tianxia
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Davis
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_00967
• 发表日期: 2022-05
• 页码: 483-500
• 关键词: housing-market; electricity

摘要

In 1978, California adopted building codes designed to reduce the energy used for temperature control. Using a rich data set of hourly electricity consumption for 158,112 houses in Sacramento, we estimate that the average house built just after 1978 uses 8% to 13% less electricity for cooling than a similar house built just before 1978. Comparing the estimated savings to the policy's projected cost, our results suggest the policy passes a cost-benefit test. In settings where market failures prevent energy costs from being completely passed through to home prices, building codes can serve as a cost- effective tool for improving energy efficiency.