IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2018 - 23

added advantage of demonstrating to consumers that their
efforts are rather effective, at least when savings are visible
to the adopter. although initial financial investments may be
needed, technology adoption requires little additional effort
or inconvenience once put in place. This is in contrast to
changing daily user behavior, such as lowering the thermostat
or taking shorter showers, that have to be undertaken repetitively and can be perceived as inconvenient. The general
point is that different types of behaviors, such as adopting
new equipment, maintenance, and changes in daily actions,
can have different drivers and obstacles.
The timescales of behavior changes matter. some changes
may be implemented immediately, such as taking shorter
showers, unplugging appliances, and cycling or walking short
distances. other changes require more time. replacing technology or household retrofits require planning and substantial investment in time and money and may be most readily
accomplished at certain critical transition periods, such as
when a building is sold. decisions on household energy retrofits are more likely made when people buy a house because,
at that time, other work is usually being done, the costs of
energy investments seem relatively small compared to other
expenses, and there is often a period when the dwelling is
unoccupied, making it easier to do intrusive work.
in addition to timescales, it is also important to consider
whose behavior is most influential in making particular decisions that affect fossil energy use. for example, water heaters
are typically replaced when the old one begins leaking, and,
generally, the replacement is what the plumber brings. so it
is the decisions of plumbers and plumbing wholesalers that
have the most effect on water heater efficiency as consumers
tend to rely on their expertise. real estate agents can also
provide information and shape expectations around efficient
and green energy technologies in the housing market.
in addition to being consumers, individuals can also take
actions in their role as citizens and as members of organizations. in both of these roles, individual behaviors can have a
substantial impact on fossil energy use. Political behaviors
can influence the adoption of specific policies. in addition, the
public can have strong reactions to both technologies and the
siting of energy facilities, which may inhibit their implementation (figure 5; see also Perlaviciute et al., this issue, for a
discussion on public acceptability). sustainable energy behaviors in organizations, including businesses, governments, and
nonprofits, can have a long-lasting and significant impact on
reductions in fossil energy use as well, not only by affecting
direct fossil energy use within the organization but also via
the energy efficiency of products and services offered to their
customers and clients.
a sustainable energy system will require the wide-scale
adoption of many kinds of behaviors, including resource- efficient technology. Therefore, it is important to consider how
changes in different types of sustainable energy behaviors
influence one another. it is possible to have positive spillover
effects, in which a few initial steps lead to a further commitment
january/february 2018

table 1. Examples of elasticity and plasticity of
sustainable energy behavior changes.
Elasticity
(Potential
Emissions
Reductions with
100% Adoption,
in MtC1)

Plasticity
(Estimated
Adoption
Percentage
from Effective
Programs, in
MtC)

Car pooling and trip
chaining

36.1

Weatherization

25.2

Changing HVAC air
filters

8.7

Low-rolling resistance
tires

7.4

Water heater
temperature

2.9

Low-flow shower heads

1.4

Sustainable Energy
Behavior

Note: 1 Metric tons of carbon. Data from Dietz et al. (2009), for U.S.
households. More detailed information can be found in Dietz et al. (2009).

figure 5. The public can have strong reactions to the siting
of energy facilities. (By Mark Dixon from Pittsburgh, PA
(CleanEnergyMarch-5-1470215) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)

to sustainable behaviors. Positive spillover effects may come
from learning that such actions are easy, feeling efficacious,
feeling satisfied with having taken the initial steps, or developing an identity as someone who engages in such behaviors.
it is also possible to have negative spillover effects, in which
undertaking a few sustainable behaviors discourages further
actions. negative spillover may happen when people feel
licensed to not act sustainably because they already did their
bit or when they use financial savings realized in ways that
are fossil fuel intensive; the latter is known as the "rebound
effect" (see van der Werff et al., this issue).
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - January/February 2018