The Role of Awards Programs in Stimulating Energy Efficient Behavior: A Study of Award Winners

摘要

Do awards for outstanding energy efficiency projects foster long lasting, institutionalrnchange and reductions in energy use? Or do they function as a one-time slap on the back forrnone-off projects that don’t necessarily affect behavior throughout an organization? This paperrndelves into these questions by reporting on an analysis of interviews with 22 Department ofrnEnergy Federal Energy Management Program (DOE FEMP) award winners. Interviews withrnindividuals and teams of award winners shed light on the roles that awards programs can play inrnstimulating energy efficient behavior, especially with regard to institutional dimensions of suchrnbehavior. Award winners identified institutional facilitators and barriers in their projects andrnprograms as well as factors in their implementation processes, thus providing information thatrncan guide other efforts. Although only one of the interviewees affirmed that winning an awardrnwas a direct motivating factor for their projects, awards do validate often-hard-wonrnachievements through recognition and, in some cases, smooth a path to additional resources.rnFinally, award winners’ responses demonstrated the importance of behavioral and institutionalrnchange in energy efficiency and how these factors can be more difficult to address thanrntechnological improvements.