Mass Deliveries of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) As a Response to the Energy Crisis: Evaluation of California's 2001 CFL Programs

摘要

In 2001, an unprecedented effort was undertaken in California to deliver energy-saving measures to residents. Utilities and other organizations developed large-scale CFL programs in response to the energy crisis (1) to reduce energy consumption and (2) to help mitigate the effects of higher utility bills for low-income households. The extent of the effort and the diverse strategies employed by program sponsors created a unique opportunity to examine the advantages and disadvantages of CFL program delivery mechanisms. As part of the California Statewide Residential Lighting and Appliance Program Evaluation, a survey of CFL recipients was conducted to evaluate CFL programs that targeted California residents in 2001. The subsequent analyses suggest the following results: (1) on a per unit basis, it is most costly to target specific groups for giveaway programs, and least costly to administer large-scale reduced price programs; (2) installation rates and hours of usage decline as the number of CFLs given away increases; (3) declines are much more gradual for reduced price programs where the consumer must share the price of the CFL; and (4) a small but significant number of program-provided CFLs are replacing existing CFLs, i.e., not incandescents as is usually assumed. These and other lessons learned will aid program planners and policymakers in the future.