| 摘要 | ABSTRACT
1. Research purpose and summary
This paper examines whether the smart-phone application-based feedback has the positive effects on the household electricity consumption savings. To analyze the effects of an application-based feedback on household power consumption reduction, we use the public application named ��energy diet�� developed by the Energy Management Corporation, considering the ��energy diet�� as an application-based feedback for reducing household power consumption. In addition, we design the experimental groups for comparing the power consumption differences among these groups. We designate the treatment groups who are provided the ��energy diet�� smart-phone application, and the control groups who don��t be received it. With the experimental setting, we conduct the survey to collect the data. To measure the power consumption difference among the groups, we conducted a total of 4 times surveys from March 2012 to August 2013 targeting the same household. In other words, we built two years of panel data from the surveys.
In this paper, we investigate three main topics. First, with the individual data collecting from two years surveys, we examine what factors might affect the household power consumption. To do this, we apply the most common estimation methods for panel data analysis such as pooled OLS and GLS(Generalize Least Square) estimation. And also, we borrow the quantile regression aiming at estimating either conditional median or other quantiles of the dependent variable. Second, we adopt the difference-in-difference technique to estimate the mean difference between the treatment groups and control groups. In this way, we are able to capture the effect of the application-based feedback on the power consumption savings. The last, we use the structural equation model to test whether the information richness of the mobile application��s design characteristics, knowledge utilization acquired from the mobile application and value structure(social responsibility value, economic value and hedonic value) of the ��energy diet�� might reduce the power consumption of the household. And also, we examine whether the mobile application designed for saving the electricity consumption might affect other utilities savings such as the city gas.
Applying the experimental designs and surveys, and various empirical methodologies, we try to estimate the effects of an application-based feedback on household power consumption savings and other utility consumption. The finding results summarize as follows.
Firstly, the empirical results for what factors might affect household power consumption show that the residential electricity price(monthly) and level of education are negatively related with the electricity consumption while the independent variables such as the heating degree days, age, sex and number of family are positively correlated with it. These results are derived from GLS estimation controlling for heteroskedasticity problem, and these are statistically significant with 5% confidence interval. However, the cooling degree days, the price of natural gas, the monthly income variable are not statistically significant so that we could not conclude whether these factors might affect the residential electricity consumption or not.
Secondly, the empirical results from DID estimation that could present the effect of the smart-phone application-based feedback on the residential power consumption conservation show that the magnitude of DID estimator on policy coefficient() is a negative number. But the DID estimators are not statistically differing from zero. Consequently, we are not able to assert that an application-based feedback might be effective to the electricity consumption reduction in this study. There might be several reasons why the DID estimators are not statistically significant. Since this study depends on micro-level data collecting from relatively small sample size of surveys, it might cause the sample selection biases and sample attrition biases as well. In addition, although we assume the each group is homogeneous, it could be violated due to an inappropriate design of panel surveys and inaccurate response. It is one of weakness in this paper. To overcome the problems from DID estimation, we perform the structural equation model focusing only on the treatment groups.
Based on the results from the structural equation model, we find that the smart-phone application-based feedback might have a positive impact on a residential power consumption savings as well as city gas consumption reduction throughout the parameters such as the knowledge acquisition and the hedonic value. In other words, the well designed mobile application that delivers energy conservation information to consumers easily and triggers the interest of them might result in the electricity consumption savings enhancing an awareness of conservation. Furthermore, the knowledge transfer and the degree of generalized knowledge through a mobile application could contribute to the city gas consumption savings directly or indirectly.
Even though we could not obviously suggest the quantitative value for the mean difference between the users of the application-based feedback and non-users of it due to the statistic insignificance of the DID estimator caused by the difficulty of securing homogeneity between groups and the outlier problem of survey data, we might conclude that the design characteristics of the mobile application are very important factors for reducing the power consumption and other utility such as a city gas.
2. Policy suggestions
Based on the research findings, we suggest several policy implications. First, the government should endeavor to construct the application-based feedback system for the purpose of the energy conservation. To this end, the government should continue to monitor the other countries�� similar energy savings programs using the digital device such as a smart-phone application and social media and so forth. If it is necessary, the government needs to actively benchmarking the successive cases.
Second, to improve the effectiveness of an application-based feedback system, the government should build an information-sharing system throughout the whole nation. Once all information related with the consumers�� electricity consumption are open to the public and possible to access to everyone, it could enhance the function of the application-based feedback system. Namely the information- sharing and the free access are a prerequisite for making the feedback system be more effective. This would be also an appropriate way to meet the fundamental principles of ��Government 3.0�� promoted by new administration.
The last, to establish and implement the effective energy demand management and the energy conservation policy, the government should proactively undertake various types of energy demand management experiments or pilot programs and analyze each program��s effect on the electricity consumption reduction. By doing so, the government is able to derive the most cost-effective energy savings feedback systems or best combinations of these. |
