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The continued outward growth from a central business district has been the dominant characteristic of most cities in Australia. However, this feature is seen as unsustainable and alternative scenarios to contain the outward growth are being proposed. Melbourne is currently grappling with this issue while simultaneously trying to reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions. Housing size, style and its location are the three principal factors which determine the emissions from the residential sector. This paper describes a methodology to assess the combined impact of these factors on past and possible future forms of residential development in Melbourne. The analysis found that the location of the housing and its size are the dominant factors determining energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

This project will examine how people make decisions about appliance purchases and the effect that these choices have on energy demand. Currently, approximately half of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to residential appliance use. However, consumers can reduce their long-run energy needs by replacing old appliances with ones that are more energy efficient. It is not surprising, then, that efficiency standards have been the cornerstone of U.S. energy conservation efforts to date. Unfortunately, the effect of these standards on appliance purchase behavior is not well understood. There are two primary reasons why. Current datasets lack crucial information, and even with appropriate data it is difficult to accurately model the dynamic aspect of appliance purchase behavior. This project addresses both of these issues.

This report discusses important issues in the design and deployment of time-varying rates. The term, time-varying rates, is used in this report as encompassing traditional time-of-use rates (such as time-of-day rates and seasonal rates) as well as newer dynamic pricing rates (such as critical peak pricing and real time pricing). The discussion is primarily focused on residential customers and small commercial customers who are collectively referred to as the mass market. The report also summarizes international experience with time-varying rate offerings.

The Global Solar Opportunity Tool enables analysis and visualization of the technical and economic potential for solar electric technologies ranging from residential rooftop systems to utility-scale installations for countries around the world. The Clean Energy Solutions Center has established this tool to assist policymakers and analysts in understanding the size and location of market opportunities for cost-effective deployment of solar technologies.