Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
whole range of policies still in force at time
t.
This shows not only a single impulse
depending on whether or not EE measures are in place, but also a quali
cation of
the strength and complexity of the overall institutional system.
The Energy System
EE performance can affect all the components of the energy
system, enabling it to become more ef
cient ([
21
], among others). Indeed, EE
technologies can be found throughout energy technologies, on the both the energy
production and consumption sides. Moreover, EE performance can be affected by
the characteristics of the energy system itself. For instance, a shortfall in energy
generation in a given country might lead to higher levels of generation and adoption
of EE technologies to counterbalance the suboptimal supply of energy. In such
endogenous mechanisms, the evaluation of the energy system as a whole appears
crucial, especially in a panel setting.
A recent study has developed the concept of an
“
energy-technology innovation
system
the application of a systemic perspective on innovation
to energy technologies comprising all aspects of energy systems (supply and
demand); all stages of the technology development cycle; and all innovation pro-
cesses, feedbacks, actors, institutions, and networks
”
(ETIS), de
ned as
“
[
22
], p. 139. Such a system
relies on the role of innovation for improving overall EE but is strictly related to
speci
”
c contexts and incentive structures, which means that the processes and
mechanisms at work within the system must be taken into account, including the
roles of private actors, networks and institutions.
In the light of this, we identify a set of variables in an attempt to capture some
intrinsic characteristics of the energy system of a country, and more precisely the
following:
The level of energy independence. The mechanisms at work here are based on
the hypothesis that if a given country is a net energy exporter, then it is most
likely rich in energy supplies and less pressed to innovate in EE technologies. In
other words, the greater the energy abundance, the lower the stimulus is to make
the national energy system more ef
cient through the adoption and generation of
technology.
The effect of major additional non-coal energy sources such as nuclear power
plants. Nuclear energy accounts for a signi
cant proportion of energy produc-
tion in many countries and an extra source of energy that might contribute to
reducing effort in EE gains. Moreover, the presence of nuclear power plants
re
ects long-term national energy strategies, since their construction implies that
a long time is needed to obtain returns on investments. This variable is expected
to have a positive impact in countries that have a low level of nuclear power
production.
The level of energy intensity, to check out the overall ef
ciency of a system,
which is also an indicator for evaluating different national energy strategies.
According to Patterson [
65
], there are different indicators for assessing aggre-
gate ef
ciency in the energy system. We use energy consumption divided by the
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