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Are Prosumer Households That Much Different? Evidence From Stated Residential Energy Consumption in Germany

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  • Oberst, Christian A.
  • Schmitz, Hendrik
  • Madlener, Reinhard

Abstract

This paper discusses the effect of residential energy prosuming on households' energy consumption behavior with the objective of finding evidence of a ‘prosumer rebound effect’ on energy consumption. Prosuming is the partial self-consumption of distributed energy production. We hypothesize that prosumer households are systematically different from consumer households with regard to housing situation and socio-economic characteristics. We ensure an appropriate quasi-randomized comparison by using propensity score matching as our identification strategy. We employ data from a nationwide online survey among homeowners in Germany. While the data show a correlation between lower energy consumption and prosumer households, we find no significant difference in energy consumption behavior between prosumers and non-prosumers in a comparable sample with regard to socio-economic and housing characteristics. Instead, the lower energy consumption of prosumer households is attributed to more energy-efficient technical equipment and thus to purchasing behavior. Our results do not show evidence of either negative or positive externalities of prosuming on residential energy consumption behavior, and therefore we conclude that there is no need for additional governmental measures, e.g. in the form of taxation or subsidies, to address behavioral changes in energy prosuming.

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  • Oberst, Christian A. & Schmitz, Hendrik & Madlener, Reinhard, 2019. "Are Prosumer Households That Much Different? Evidence From Stated Residential Energy Consumption in Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 101-115.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:158:y:2019:i:c:p:101-115
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.12.014
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    11. Frondel, Manuel & Kaestner, Kathrin & Sommer, Stephan & Vance, Colin, 2021. "Photovoltaics and the Solar Rebound: Evidence for Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242356, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Krzysztof Kosowski & Karol Tucki & Marian Piwowarski & Robert Stępień & Olga Orynycz & Wojciech Włodarski, 2019. "Thermodynamic Cycle Concepts for High-Efficiency Power Plants. Part B: Prosumer and Distributed Power Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-13, May.
    13. D'Adamo, Idiano & Mammetti, Marco & Ottaviani, Dario & Ozturk, Ilhan, 2023. "Photovoltaic systems and sustainable communities: New social models for ecological transition. The impact of incentive policies in profitability analyses," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 1291-1304.
    14. Hansen, Anders Rhiger & Jacobsen, Mette Hove & Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten, 2022. "Characterizing the Danish energy prosumer: Who buys solar PV systems and why do they buy them?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    15. Włodarski, Wojciech, 2019. "A model development and experimental verification for a vapour microturbine with a permanent magnet synchronous generator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    16. Kim, Jae D. & Trevena, William, 2021. "Measuring the rebound effect: A case study of residential photovoltaic systems in San Diego," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    17. Campos, Inês & Korsnes, Marius & Labanca, Nicola & Bertoldi, Paolo, 2024. "Can renewable energy prosumerism cater for sufficiency and inclusion?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    18. Min Hee Chung, 2020. "Comparison of Economic Feasibility for Efficient Peer-to-Peer Electricity Trading of PV-Equipped Residential House in Korea," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-21, July.
    19. Izabela Jonek-Kowalska, 2023. "Motives for the Use of Photovoltaic Installations in Poland against the Background of the Share of Solar Energy in the Structure of Energy Resources in the Developing Economies of Central and Eastern ," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-25, July.
    20. Liu, Diyi & Zou, Hongyang & Qiu, Yueming & Du, Huibin, 2024. "Consumer reaction to green subsidy phase-out in China: Evidence from the household photovoltaic industry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    21. Sokołowski, Jakub, 2023. "Peer effects on photovoltaics (PV) adoption and air quality spillovers in Poland," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    22. Corina Pelau & Carmen Acatrinei, 2019. "The Paradox of Energy Consumption Decrease in the Transition Period towards a Digital Society," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-16, April.
    23. Frondel, Manuel & Kaestner, Kathrin & Sommer, Stephan & Vance, Colin, 2022. "Photovoltaics and the solar rebound: Evidence for Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 954, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    24. Csutora, Maria & Zsoka, Agnes & Harangozo, Gabor, 2021. "The Grounded Survey – An integrative mixed method for scrutinizing household energy behavior," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Prosumer households; Rebound; Propensity score matching; Residential energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Renewable energies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources

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