Analysis of the energy requirement for household consumption

Abstract

Humans in households use energy for their activities. This use is both direct, for example electricity and natural gas, but also indirect, for the production, transport and trade of other goods and services. The main objective of this thesis is to gain insight into the energy requirement associated with household consumption patterns. The analyses in this thesis should be helpful in exploring the feasibility of the option to reduce or limit the energy requirement of society by changing consumption patterns.

Chapter 2 describes a hybrid method for energy analysis, which is found to be suitable for rapidly and accurately calculating the direct and indirect energy requirement associated with the purchase and use of large numbers of consumption goods.

The aim of Chapter 3 is to examine how households can reduce their primary energy requirement for the gift functions provided by cut flowers. The calculations suggest that if all the energy reduction options discussed in Chapter 3 are applied to a substantial extent, the cumulative energy required for flowers purchased by an average Dutch household can be halved.

Chapter 4 gives an overview of the energy requirement of households. In 1990 the total average energy requirement per household in the Netherlands was 240 GJ, of which 54% was indirect. The net income was found to have the most important relationship with the total energy requirement. However, the spread in energy requirement of households within the same socio-economic situation was found to be large. Large differences were found between the energy intensities of consumption categories.

The aim of Chapter 5 is to examine whether there is a relationship between the total household energy requirement, on one hand, and value patterns, the motivation to save energy or the problem perception of climate change, on the other. No differences were found in the energy requirement of groups of households with different value patterns, taking into account the differences in the socio-economic situation of households.

The aim of Chapter 6 is to analyse changes in the consumption patterns of Dutch households in the period between 1948 and 1996. The rise in consumption has caused the total household energy requirement per capita to increase by an average of 2.4% per year over a period of 48 years. No substantial trend towards a less energy intensive consumption pattern has been found.

The aim of chapter 7 is to estimate the consumption pattern and the accompanying energy requirement for the year 2030. The calculations suggest that, in the future, an autonomous substantial reduction of the energy intensity will occur, but the ongoing economic growth will still lead to a higher energy requirement per capita.

The results in the Chapters 3 and 4 indicate that changing consumption patterns can reduce or limit the energy requirement of society. The results in the Chapters 6 and 7 indicate that a change in consumption patterns (to reduce or limit the energy requirement of society), will not occur autonomously. These findings are combined with the lack of any influence of values, problem perception and motivation on the household energy requirement, as found in Chapter 5. Then, it is clear that it will not be easy to reduce household energy requirements. A really strong policy that solves the social dilemma aspect of the problem, for instance, via pricing or regulation, will be necessary to achieve a reduction in the energy requirement of society through changes in household consumption patterns.