Energy efficiency

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Terms of reference, Contents, Abbreviations and explanations

Overview
Key points, Overview, Findings and recommendations

1   Introduction
1.1   Scope of inquiry
1.2   Policy background
1.3   Conduct of the inquiry

2   Energy efficiency and policy assessment
2.1   Economic efficiency and the role of government intervention
2.2   Energy efficiency and its benefits
2.3   Assessing energy efficiency policies

3   How is energy used in Australia?
3.1   Energy availability and use in Australia
3.2   Energy intensity
3.3   Energy prices
3.4   Greenhouse gas emissions

4   What are the barriers and impediments?
4.1   Introduction
4.2   Failures in markets for energy-efficient technologies
4.3   Behavioural, cultural and organisational barriers
4.4   Other barriers and impediments

5   How big is the energy efficiency gap?
5.1   What is an energy efficiency gap?
5.2   Case studies of energy efficiency potential
5.3   Assessment of case study results

6   Residential sector
6.1   Key features of residential energy use
6.2   Why would householders overlook cost-effective energy efficiency improvements?
6.3   Residential policies

7   Industrial and commercial sectors
7.1   Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
7.2   Why would firms overlook cost-effective energy efficiency improvements?
7.3   Promoting the energy services industry
7.4 Voluntary agreements
7.5   General information provision
7.6   Financial incentives
7.7   Mandatory energy audits

8   Governments as energy users
8.1   Characteristics of government energy use
8.2   Government - specific barriers and policy issues
8.3   Policy options

9   Appliance labels and standards
9.1   Administrative arrangements
9.2   Appliance energy performance labels
9.3   Appliance minimum energy performance standards
9.4   Are other market interventions better?

10   Building ratings and standards
10.1   Do individuals overlook cost-effective building improvements?
10.2   Energy efficiency ratings for existing buildings
10.3   Minimum energy efficiency standards for new buildings
10.4 Are building standards cost effective for individuals?
10.5   Areas for improvement in the assessment of standards

11   Energy efficiency in transport
11.1   Introduction
11.2   Passenger transport
11.3   Freight transport

12   Coordinating government programs
12.1   Coordination of energy efficiency policies
12.2   Coordination with other policies
12.3   Institutional framework and the National Framework for Energy Efficiency

13   National energy efficiency target
13.1   Broad options for introducing a NEET
13.2   Emerging experiences with energy efficiency targets and related schemes
13.3   Could a NEET be justified on the grounds of privately cost-effective energy efficiency?
13.4   Could a NEET be justified as a means of meeting broader objectives?

14   What is the role of energy market reforms?
14.1   Energy pricing and costs
14.2   The regulation of electricity prices
14.3   Imperfect competition in electricity generation
14.4   Unpriced environmental externalities

B   Institutional background
B.1   Institutional arrangements for increasing energy efficiency
B.2   Recent reforms to regulation of energy markets
B.3   Improving regulatory practice

C   Government energy efficiency programs

D   Australian energy efficiency standards for buildings
D.1   The Building Code of Australia
D.2   The Building Code and energy efficiency of housing
D.3   The Building Code and energy efficiency of other buildings
D.4 State-based energy efficiency building schemes
D.5   Self-regulatory building energy efficiency schemes

E   Framework for appliance labels and standards
E.1   National Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Program
E.2   Energy efficiency standards for gas appliances
E.3   Voluntary programs

F   Discount rates
F.1   Time preference versus cost of capital
F.2   Social versus private investment evaluations
F.3   Accounting for investment risk
F.4   Use of social discount rates to assess private cost effectiveness

References