energy efficiency in saint lucia cassidy demos, lena forman, abby kerin, meryl klein, travis...
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Energy Efficiency in Saint Lucia
Cassidy DeMos, Lena Forman, Abby Kerin, Meryl Klein, Travis Reynolds, Alanna Toner
Overview
Project GoalsObjectivesPrevious WorkHypothesesMethodsResultsPSARecommendations
Project GoalsTo reduce energy consumption in St. Lucia through the promotion of energy efficient practices
EconomicEnvironmental
Objectives
Engage in consumer research Survey
Promote energy-saver light bulbs through cost subsidization
Coupon Distribution
Promote energy-saver light bulbs through consumer education
Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Survey Background263 surveys gathered in 2006
Price respondents were willing to pay was EC$5
Barriers to purchasing energy-saver bulbs
Reynolds, T., Murray, B., & Neil, H. (2006b). Energy Efficiency in Saint Lucia Final Report. CDAE 195 Final Report: University of Vermont.
HypothesesH1: As education levels increase there will
be a higher self-reported willingness to pay for energy-saver bulbs
H2: As knowledge of energy efficiency increases, it will lead to a higher self-reported willingness to pay
H3: As price of energy-saver bulbs is reduced through coupons the number of energy-saver bulbs purchased by Saint Lucian consumers will increase
Survey Methods4 January – 10 January
Castries, Rodney Bay, Soufriere, Vieux Fort
530 consumer surveysPersonal interviewsIntercept surveys
H1 Results – Education vs Willingness-to-Pay
On average consumers only want to pay EC$11 regardless of education
Those with no education were only willing to pay an average of EC$7.50
H2 Results – Knowledge vs Willingness to Pay
People familiar with energy efficiency were on average willing to pay EC$1.50 more for energy-saver bulbs than those who were not familiar (P-value: 0.033)
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0-999 1000-1999
2000-2999
3000-3999
4000-4999
5000-5999
6000+
Household Income per month (EC$)
Pri
ceIncreased income was not associated with increased willingness to pay
H3 – Bulb price vs purchasing patterns
Survey Results: Barriers to Bulb Purchase
lack of knowledge34%
cost39%
availability3%
quality 4%
other10%
no barriers10%
Coupon Distribution
URECA GrantDistributed with surveysDiscounts of 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90% offFree bulbs
Coupon Distribution Results
Preliminary results23 redeemed • 8 – 90% off• 6 – 75% off• 7 – 50% off• 1 – 25% off• 1 – 10% off
ConclusionsConsumers are generally positive toward energy-saver bulbsConsumers are generally not aware of energy efficient appliancesEducation is positively related to a consumers willingness to pay more for energy-saver bulbsIncreased knowledge about energy efficiency leads to a willingness to pay more for energy-saver bulbsIncome does not effect consumer’s willingness to pay
Subsidies to decrease priceIncrease education
Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Lindsley PhilbertElectrical Engineer Local consumer answering
survey questions
“I purchased four energy-saver bulbs and I saw a big decrease in
my electricity bill.”- Castries resident
95,000 tons of oil were imported at a cost of $25 million
30% used to generate electricity¹
Domestic consumption of electricity was 35.7%
3.2% increase from 2004²
¹ Ministry of Physical Development, Environment, and Housing May 2003. Saint Lucia Energy Sector Policy and Strategy.² Ministry of Finance International Financial Services and Economic Affairs 2006. 2005 Economic and Social Review.
Policy Recommendations
Increased Energy Week Publicity School ProgramsReduce/eliminate duties and taxes on energy efficient productsSubsidize prices of energy efficient products
Future Recommendations
Educational workshops with Saint Lucian residentsAnalysis of available energy efficient appliances and consumer’s knowledge of them
Project PartnersPhilip McClauren Ministry of Consumer AffairsJohn Worrell St. Louis Ministry of Agriculture & ForestryGuillaume Simon Ministry of Consumer AffairsFabian Jules Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry
Lindsley PhilbertSir Arthur Lewis Community CollegeJohnson’s Hardware (Castries & Rodney Bay)DuBoulay’s Building Supply (Soufriere)Builder’s Choice Limited (Vieux Fort)
Any Questions?