IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/kof/wpskof/10-257.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Factors Determining the Adoption of Energy-saving Technologies in Swiss Firms

Author

Abstract

This study investigates the factors that determine the inter-firm and intra-firm adoption rates of energy-saving technologies. These factors can be on theoretical terms firm-specific rank effects, inducement effects, adoption barriers as well as order, stock and epidemic effects that are related to different kinds of external effects. Data for 2324 Swiss firms for the year 2008 are used that contain information about four categories of energy-saving technology applications (electromechanical and electronic applications; applications in motor vehicle and traffic engineering; in building construction; and in power-generating processes) that are studied separately. The results show that there are significant differences with respect to rank effects and adoption barriers between inter-and intra-firm diffusion. In practically all cases positive epidemic and/or network effects outweigh potential negative stock and order effects. Inducement effects, particularly those traced back to intrinsic motivations for environment-friendly technologies, show clearly positive effects on the adoption rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Spyros Arvanitis & Marius Christian Ley, 2010. "Factors Determining the Adoption of Energy-saving Technologies in Swiss Firms," KOF Working papers 10-257, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:kof:wpskof:10-257
    DOI: 10.3929/ethz-a-006070966
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-006070966
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.3929/ethz-a-006070966?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hollenstein, Heinz, 2004. "Determinants of the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): An empirical analysis based on firm-level data for the Swiss business sector," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 315-342, September.
    2. Jan Velthuijsen, 1993. "Incentives for investment in energy efficiency: an econometric evaluation and policy implications," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 3(2), pages 153-169, April.
    3. Giuliana Battisti & Heinz Hollenstein & Paul Stoneman & Martin Woerter, 2007. "Inter And Intra Firm Diffusion Of Ict In The United Kingdom (Uk) And Switzerland (Ch) An Internationally Comparative Study Based On Firm-Level Data," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(8), pages 669-687.
    4. Binswanger, Hans P, 1974. "A Microeconomic Approach to Induced Innovation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 84(336), pages 940-958, December.
    5. Hausman, Jerry & McFadden, Daniel, 1984. "Specification Tests for the Multinomial Logit Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(5), pages 1219-1240, September.
    6. Hollenstein, Heinz & Woerter, Martin, 2008. "Inter- and intra-firm diffusion of technology: The example of E-commerce: An analysis based on Swiss firm-level data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 545-564, April.
    7. Popp, David & Newell, Richard G. & Jaffe, Adam B., 2010. "Energy, the Environment, and Technological Change," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 873-937, Elsevier.
    8. Pizer, William & Kopp, Raymond & Morgenstern, Richard & Harrington, Winston & Shih, Jhih-Shyang, 2002. "Technology Adoption and Aggregate Energy Efficiency," RFF Working Paper Series dp-02-52, Resources for the Future.
    9. Battisti, Giuliana & Stoneman, Paul, 2005. "The intra-firm diffusion of new process technologies," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(1-2), pages 1-22, February.
    10. Baldwin, John & Lin, Zhengxi, 2002. "Impediments to advanced technology adoption for Canadian manufacturers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 1-18, January.
    11. Bertschek, Irene & Fryges, Helmut, 2002. "The Adoption of Business-to-Business E-Commerce: Empirical Evidence for German Companies," ZEW Discussion Papers 02-05, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    12. Fuentelsaz, Lucio & Gomez, Jaime & Polo, Yolanda, 2003. "Intrafirm diffusion of new technologies: an empirical application," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 533-551, April.
    13. Kamien, Morton I & Schwartz, Nancy L, 1970. "Market Structure, Elasticity of Demand and Incentive to Invent," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(1), pages 241-252, April.
    14. Battisti, Giuliana & Canepa, Alessandra & Stoneman, Paul, 2009. "e-Business usage across and within firms in the UK: profitability, externalities and policy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 133-143, February.
    15. Jayati Sarkar, 1998. "Technological Diffusion: Alternative Theories and Historical Evidence," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(2), pages 131-176, April.
    16. Ruby Roy Dholakia & Nir Kshetri, 2004. "Factors Impacting the Adoption of the Internet among SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 311-322, November.
    17. Geroski, P. A., 2000. "Models of technology diffusion," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4-5), pages 603-625, April.
    18. Jennifer F. Reinganum, 1981. "Market Structure and the Diffusion of New Technology," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 12(2), pages 618-624, Autumn.
    19. DeCanio, Stephen J, 1998. "The efficiency paradox: bureaucratic and organizational barriers to profitable energy-saving investments," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 441-454, April.
    20. Colombo, Massimo G & Mosconi, Rocco, 1995. "Complementarity and Cumulative Learning Effects in the Early Diffusion of Multiple Technologies," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 13-48, March.
    21. Majumdar, Sumit K. & Venkataraman, S., 1993. "New technology adoption in US telecommunications: The role of competitive pressures and firm-level inducements," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(5-6), pages 521-536, November.
    22. A. Canepa & P. Stoneman, 2004. "Comparative international diffusion: Patterns, determinants and policies," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 279-298.
    23. Paul Stoneman & Otto Toivanen, 1997. "The Diffusion Of Multiple Technologies: An Empirical Study," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 1-17.
    24. DeCanio, Stephen J., 1993. "Barriers within firms to energy-efficient investments," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(9), pages 906-914, September.
    25. Spyros Arvanitis & Heinz Hollenstein, 2001. "The Determinants Of The Adoption Of Advanced Manufacturing Technology," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(5), pages 377-414.
    26. repec:bla:jecsur:v:12:y:1998:i:2:p:131-76 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Jan Jacobs & Gerard Kuper & Daan van Soest, 2009. "On the effect of high energy prices on investment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(27), pages 3483-3490.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Spyros Arvanitis & Michael Peneder & Christian Rammer & Tobias Stucki & Martin Wörter, 2016. "The adoption of green energy technologies: The role of policies in an international comparison," KOF Working papers 16-411, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    2. Mattes, Katharina & Müller, Simon & Jäger, Angela & Weidner, Nadezda & Weißfloch, Ute, 2014. "Adoption and diffusion of renewable energy technologies: Influence of the policy mix in the manufacturing industry," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S6/2014, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    3. Yang, Lin & Li, Fengyu & Zhang, Xian, 2016. "Chinese companies’ awareness and perceptions of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS): Evidence from a national survey in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 254-265.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Spyros Arvanitis & Marius Ley, 2013. "Factors Determining the Adoption of Energy-Saving Technologies in Swiss Firms: An Analysis Based on Micro Data," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 54(3), pages 389-417, March.
    2. Hollenstein, Heinz & Woerter, Martin, 2008. "Inter- and intra-firm diffusion of technology: The example of E-commerce: An analysis based on Swiss firm-level data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 545-564, April.
    3. Heinz Hollenstein & Martin Woerter, 2004. "The Decision to Adopt Internet-based E-Commerce. An Empirical Analysis Based on Swiss Firm-level Data," KOF Working papers 04-89, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    4. Strong, Derek Ryan, 2017. "The Early Diffusion of Smart Meters in the US Electric Power Industry," Thesis Commons 7zprk, Center for Open Science.
    5. Martin Woerter & Tobias Stucki, 2016. "Intra-Firm Diffusion of Green Energy Technologies and the Choice of Policy Instruments," KOF Working papers 16-401, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    6. Juan M. Gallego & Luis H. Gutiérrez & Sang H. Lee, 2015. "A firm-level analysis of ICT adoption in an emerging economy: evidence from the Colombian manufacturing industries," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 24(1), pages 191-221.
    7. Stoneman, Paul & Battisti, Giuliana, 2010. "The Diffusion of New Technology," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 733-760, Elsevier.
    8. Giuliana Battisti & Heinz Hollenstein & Paul Stoneman & Martin Woerter, 2007. "Inter And Intra Firm Diffusion Of Ict In The United Kingdom (Uk) And Switzerland (Ch) An Internationally Comparative Study Based On Firm-Level Data," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(8), pages 669-687.
    9. Spyros Arvanitis & Michael Peneder & Christian Rammer & Tobias Stucki & Martin Wörter, 2016. "The adoption of green energy technologies: The role of policies in an international comparison," KOF Working papers 16-411, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    10. Marius Ley, 2010. "Determinanten der Verbreitung energieeffizienter Technologien in der Schweizer Wirtschaft," KOF Analysen, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich, vol. 4(4), pages 43-59, December.
    11. Ben Aoun - Peltier, Leila & Vicente Cuervo, Maria Rosalia, 2012. "E-commerce diffusion: exploring the determinants of the adoption and extent of usage at firm-level," MPRA Paper 49333, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Bocquet, Rachel & Brossard, Olivier, 2007. "The variety of ICT adopters in the intra-firm diffusion process: Theoretical arguments and empirical evidence," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 409-437, December.
    13. Waters, James, 2015. "Determinants of initial technology adoption and intensification: evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean," MPRA Paper 61473, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Hollenstein, Heinz, 2004. "Determinants of the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): An empirical analysis based on firm-level data for the Swiss business sector," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 315-342, September.
    15. Fuentelsaz, Lucio & Gómez, Jaime & Palomas, Sergio, 2016. "Interdependences in the intrafirm diffusion of technological innovations: Confronting the rational and social accounts of diffusion," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(5), pages 951-963.
    16. Waters, James, 2013. "The influence of information sources on inter- and intra-firm diffusion: evidence from UK farming," MPRA Paper 50955, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. James G. Mulligan & Nilotpal Das, 2005. "Persistent Adoption of Time-Saving Process Innovations," Working Papers 05-03, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
    18. Jane Bourke & Stephen Roper, 2012. "In with the new: the determinants of prescribing innovation by general practitioners in Ireland," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 13(4), pages 393-407, August.
    19. Gomez, Jaime & Vargas, Pilar, 2009. "The effect of financial constraints, absorptive capacity and complementarities on the adoption of multiple process technologies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 106-119, February.
    20. Kounetas, Kostas & Tsekouras, Kostas, 2008. "The energy efficiency paradox revisited through a partial observability approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 2517-2536, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Energy-saving technologies; Technology adoption;

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kof:wpskof:10-257. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/koethch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.