Technology Innovation and Building Energy Codes.

摘要

The primary objective of this dissertation is to add insight on the following general question: Has public policy stimulated energy-related technological change in buildings? Greater understanding of how policy influences technological change in the building sector can translate into better-designed policy mechanisms, ultimately accelerating innovation and adoption of energy-saving technologies. These technologies can enable building users to reduce their energy consumption and associated environmental impacts.;This research addresses this general question using a case study of building controls technology, and poses the following specific research question: Has the use of building energy codes stimulated adoption of building controls? Building controls can be used in any type of building, of any vintage, and in any location; the systems come in a variety of configurations with a common objective; and they affect major sources of building energy consumption. Since they are used in both residential and commercial sectors, both of these sectors are included in the analysis.;To address this research question, data are assembled from diverse sources and analyzed in multiple ways. The chapters proceed in a sequence that adds insight on individual aspects of the process of innovation in building controls. Chapter 1 reviews the literature on technological change, the characteristics of the building industry, and related energy policy. Chapter 2 uses patent citation data to characterize invention. Chapter 3 measures trends in technology prices to assess innovation. Chapter 4 uses federal commercial and residential building surveys to measure diffusion. Chapter 5 examines building energy code policies, selected for their relatively long history, widespread use, and relevance to building controls. In Chapter 6, data from Chapters 2 through 5 are used as inputs to a regression model to identify the effect of policy on adoption of the technology. Findings are discussed in Chapter 7.;The results show that total commercial square footage or total residential homes, cumulative depreciated patents, and the price of the technology are the most consistent significant predictors of EMCS and PT adoption. Building energy codes and their enforcement offered mixed results, with more consistent evidence of a positive effect on PT adoption.