{"id":6424,"date":"2022-08-16T11:55:28","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T11:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.portal.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/"},"modified":"2023-01-17T18:47:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T18:47:45","slug":"the-efficiency-paradox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/","title":{"rendered":"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If we could make coal plants, natural gas facilities, and gasoline engines three times more efficient so that they were able to extract 90 percent of the energy stored in fossil fuels, would our environmental woes be solved?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assuming society\u2019s total energy use stayed exactly the same, then we could cut emissions by as much as 66 percent. That would be extremely significant. However, when energy can be extracted more efficiently, that energy becomes cheaper. When energy is cheaper, people consume more of it. This is known as the rebound effect. It means that improving efficiency could lead to greater resource consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Jevons&#8217; Paradox and Energy Efficiency<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rebound effect has been a hotly contested topic in the academic community for the last 40 years. The intensity has increased recently as climate change has become an important global issue. The consensus is that the rebound effect is real, but the magnitude of the rebound is under serious debate and may be categorized as follows<sup>1<\/sup><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Super conservation &#8211; <\/span><strong>more<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> resources are <\/span><strong>saved<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than expected<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zero rebound &#8211; <\/span><strong>as many<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> resources are <\/span><strong>saved<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as expected<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partial rebound &#8211; <\/span><strong>fewer<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> resources are <\/span><strong>saved<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than expected<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full rebound &#8211; <\/span><strong>no net<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> resources are <\/span><strong>saved<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or consumed<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Backfire &#8211; resource <\/span><strong>consumption<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has <\/span><strong>increased<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our example, a 66 percent reduction in energy use would be a zero rebound scenario because as many resources are saved as expected, an ideal outcome. Everyone agrees that some form of rebound occurs. The debate is whether the rebound is small or large, or whether more resources are being used than before.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rebound concept was first described by William Stanley Jevons in the 1865 book \u201cThe Coal Question.\u201d At the time, James Watt had recently invented the Watt Steam Engine which was significantly more efficient than the previous engine in use. According to Jevons, this increase in efficiency resulted in a much broader range of industries using the steam engine and caused an overall increase in the use of coal in the United Kingdom. Thus Jevons paradox, as it was coined, was an extreme rebound that reached a backfire condition.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unaware of Jevons paradox, Dr. Daniel Khazzoom and Dr. Len Brookes came to similar conclusions when researching appliance efficiency and energy efficiency, respectively, in the 1980s. The same thing happened in 1992 when Dr. Harry Saunders created a model incorporating energy efficiency into neoclassical growth theory and was shocked to see the model predict increases in energy use when energy efficiency increased. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He then began researching prior knowledge in the subject found that Khazzoom and Brookes had described the same concept ten years earlier. Thus he named it the Khazzoom-Brookes postulate. Only later did he discover that Jevons had beat him by over 100 years.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<h2>Why Rebound Happens<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reasons for the rebound are attributable to three economic considerations: direct, indirect, and economy-wide effects. A direct effect is increasing the use of the specific resource because one can now afford to do so (i.e., traveling more due to cheaper fuel). Indirect effects are increasing spending in other areas because one now has more income (i.e., buying more clothes because one has more money due to cheaper fuel). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Economy-wide effects are the increase in societal consumption due to the improved economy that resulted from efficiency improvements.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is the attempt to measure the size of each of these effects that results in so much debate around the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Determining the Magnitude of Rebound<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The country where the efficient technology is implemented can have a significant effect on rebound because of the maturity of the domestic industry. For example, in America the use of energy is already very high, therefore increasing the efficiency at which energy is generated will have a smaller rebound effect than if the same new energy efficient technology was implemented in a developing country where there is a larger consumer base that will have more novel uses to apply cheaper energy.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The peculiarities of the customer have a similar effect. If a wealthy individual already puts a thermostat at the optimal temperature, then a decrease in electricity prices will not result in an increase in energy use because the individual was already using the maximum amount necessary. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, a low-income family may adjust the thermostat to a more comfortable level because of reduced energy costs, potentially increasing total energy use.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It should be noted that this example only considers direct effects. Indirect and economy-wide effects may increase the size of the rebound.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, the sector in which the efficiency improvement occurs affects the magnitude of the rebound. For example, a rebound effect is likely higher for steam engines or electric motors than for thermal insulation.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<h2>The Evidence of Rebound<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those who would say that rebound is significant point to measures such as a 37 percent increase in total national air conditioning energy use between 1993 and 2005 when air conditioners became 28 percent more efficient.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, looking at the same set of data, another might say that the increase in the use of air conditioning equipment is due to the fact that income (adjusted for inflation) increased by 30 percent and the average new home was 16 percent larger in 2005 than 1993.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is precisely the opinion of Dr. Jim Barrett, Chief Economist at the Clean Energy Development Center. Delving deeper into the problem, some economists, such as Dr. Saunders, say that this is where energy efficiency advocates fail, because they are looking at energy in isolation without considering that materials or labor may be substituted by energy use.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In another example, David Owens points out that refrigerator size increased in the 1960s and 70s because of an increase in refrigerator efficiency, which made larger refrigerators more affordable.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> David Goldstein, Co-Director of the Energy Program at NRDC, notes that Owens is incorrect because refrigerator size increased even as efficiency decreased in the 1950&#8217;s and 60&#8217;s.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, both of these analyses have narrowed their scope too far and focus only on direct effects. Perhaps other products became cheaper during the 50&#8217;s and 60&#8217;s due to improved manufacturing or energy efficiencies. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This would leave consumers with more money in their pockets, which means they could choose to spend more on something such as a refrigerator. This is the exact definition of an indirect effect where people choose to spend more on something else (refrigerators, in this case) because they saved money elsewhere. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a self-serving argument for rebound enthusiasts that would make it even more difficult to prove anything regarding a rebound effect, but it is important because it highlights the difficulty of rebound analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Governmental Research Efforts<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A research effort undertaken by the UK Energy Research Centre in 2007 established that much of the data necessary for quantifying the rebound effect is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain, including effects on capital, labor, and materials used. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They concluded that the approximate rebound effect in developed countries is 10 percent and in developing countries is 50 percent or higher. However, it should be noted that their confidence level in their conclusions is very low due to the lack of data.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As expected, this conclusion is seriously contested by both sides because it strikes more of a middle ground on the issue. Amory Lovins, Chief Scientist at Rocky Mountain Institute, says that rebounds are in the range of zero percent to just a few percent.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Meanwhile, Dr. Saunders would suggest that the rebound is 50 percent to 60 percent in the US.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Interestingly, Lovins also says that energy efficiency offers an \u201ceconomic bonanza because saving fuel is a lot cheaper than buying it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This would seem to support the position that energy efficiency could rebound because of all the extra money consumers and corporations save, yet he does not believe the rebound is significant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major part of the argument rebutting Jevons paradox is the fact that energy consumption only accounts for roughly 6 percent of GDP, therefore any direct savings from efficiency spent on other goods would still be saving 94 percent of the claimed savings.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, this logic is questionable because as energy efficiency increases, society spends less on energy, but society is even more dependent on it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Verdict: Does Jevons Paradox Hold Up?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jevons paradox is difficult to prove or disprove because so many studies focus on the effect of one product or one consumer, while the effect is observed at the macroeconomic scale. However, it is clear that some level of rebound exists and that rebounds are different product to product and country to country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The argument is well summarized by Steve Sorrell, senior fellow at Sussex University, <strong>\u201cI think the point may be that Jevons has yet to be disproved. It is rather hard to demonstrate the validity of his proposition, but certainly the historical evidence to date is wholly consistent with what he was arguing.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rebound effect is very similar to a concept called \u201cinduced demand\u201d from the transportation industry. In transportation planning, engineers and planners are confronted with problem that when traffic congestion is relieved on one road (by the addition of lanes or constructing trains that run parallel to the road) more people choose to use that road, more people move to that area, and people begin use that road from a longer distance out; all causing that road to return to a similar or greater level of congestion than it previously had. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, there is no great solution to this problem, though tolls have begun to show a positive effect. Perhaps the same solution is necessary for energy efficiency, greater taxes on energy use when we use more energy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Solutions<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the rebound effect occurs due to the reduced cost of energy efficient products, a common solution is to manipulate the cost of energy to reduce or eliminate the rebound effect. A carbon tax could reduce the rebound and help counter the adverse environmental impact of fossil fuels. A carbon tax will stimulate development of more efficient fossil fuel technologies and renewable energy. Plus, it will counter the natural rebound effect that occurs. For example, if it cost me $100 to operate my car, then a carbon tax was implemented that increased that cost to $150, then I would be more inclined to purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle or drive fewer miles to bring my cost back down to $100.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In that scenario, when I bring my energy use down, I would be spending the same amount as I had been originally, but using 33 percent less fuel. A carbon tax that escalates over time can ensure that the price of energy remains the same even as we are using less of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Renewable energy <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Renewable energy is clearly one of the better solutions if the rebound has any kind of an effect, but even more so if the rebound is significant. If policies and programs designed to improve efficiency end up meaning society uses more energy, then those policies will fail to reduce our carbon emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, cheap renewable energy has its own rebound issues based on the same economic principles as Jevons paradox. For example, a solar customer who sees the bill go to zero may increase energy use because the customer can afford to do so. However, it is impossible for the carbon rebound to be 100 percent because the marginal productivity of fossil fuel energy doesn\u2019t increase. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, if an individual were paying $100 per month on electricity, and then a new solar system reduces the bill to $20 plus $50 per month on their solar payment plan, the maximum rebound, in carbon emissions, is $30. This would be a rebound of 37.5 percent ( = 30 \/ 80), which is clearly not ideal, but far from a Jevons scenario of over 100 percent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, technologies that do not produce emissions will clearly have a beneficial effect on the environment regardless of the rebound because they increase the percentage of environmentally friendly energy in the global mix. Plus, once the carbon emissions problem is solved, energy efficiency can go back to doing what it does best: improving welfare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\f<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Sources<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saunders, Harry D. \u201cFuel conserving (and using) production function\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Energy Economics<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2007.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Garrett, Tim. \u201cRebound, Backfire, and the Jevons Paradox\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Utah<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2014. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.inscc.utah.edu\/~tgarrett\/Economics\/Jevons_Paradox.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.inscc.utah.edu\/~tgarrett\/Economics\/Jevons_Paradox.html<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Breakthrough. \u201cUnderstanding Energy Efficiency Rebound: Interview with Harry Saunders\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Breakthrough<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 23 Jan 2013. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/thebreakthrough.org\/index.php\/programs\/energy-and-climate\/understanding-energy-efficiency-rebound-interview-with-harry-saunders\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/thebreakthrough.org\/index.php\/programs\/energy-and-climate\/understanding-energy-efficiency-rebound-interview-with-harry-saunders<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UK Energy Research Centre. \u201cThe Rebound Effect: an assessment of the evidence for economy-wide energy savings from improved energy efficiency\u201d. 2007<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Breakthrough. \u201cUnderstanding Energy Efficiency Rebound: Interview with Joyashree Roy\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Breakthrough<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 23 Jan 2013. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/thebreakthrough.org\/index.php\/programs\/energy-and-climate\/understanding-energy-efficiency-rebound-interview-with-joyashree-roy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/thebreakthrough.org\/index.php\/programs\/energy-and-climate\/understanding-energy-efficiency-rebound-interview-with-joyashree-roy<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Milne, Geoffrey and Boardman, Brenda. \u201cMaking cold homes warmer: the effect of energy efficiency improvements in low income homes\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Energy Policy<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2000.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Owen, David. \u201cThe Efficiency Dilemma\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The New Yorker<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 20 &amp; 27 Dec 2010. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2010\/12\/20\/the-efficiency-dilemma\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2010\/12\/20\/the-efficiency-dilemma<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barrett, Jim. \u201cDebunking the Jevons Paradox: Nobody goes there anymore, it\u2019s too crowded\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think Progress<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 16 Feb 2011. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/thinkprogress.org\/climate\/2011\/02\/16\/207532\/debunking-jevons-paradox-jim-barrett\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/thinkprogress.org\/climate\/2011\/02\/16\/207532\/debunking-jevons-paradox-jim-barrett\/<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Goldstein, David B. \u201cSome Dilemma: Efficient Appliances Use Less Energy, Produce the Same Level of Service with Less Pollution and Provide Consumers with Great Savings. What\u2019s Not to Like?\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NRDC<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 18 Dec 2010. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/experts\/david-b-goldstein\/some-dilemma-efficient-appliances-use-less-energy-produce-same-level\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/experts\/david-b-goldstein\/some-dilemma-efficient-appliances-use-less-energy-produce-same-level<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rocky Mountain Institute. \u201cJevons Paradox: The Debate That Just Won\u2019t Die\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rocky Mountain Institute\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 20 Mar 2012. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.rmi.org\/blog_Jevons_Paradox\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/blog.rmi.org\/blog_Jevons_Paradox<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If we could make coal plants, natural gas facilities, and gasoline engines three times more efficient so that they were able to extract 90 percent of the energy stored in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":6563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.5 (Yoast SEO v19.10) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox | Solar.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Exploring the arguments surrounding Jevons paradoxy and its applications to energy efficiency and energy policy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Exploring the arguments surrounding Jevons paradoxy and its applications to energy efficiency and energy policy.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Solar.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Solar.comOfficial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-16T11:55:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-01-17T18:47:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/solarassets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/efficiencyP-04.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1250\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"781\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sam Wigness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SamuelWigness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sam Wigness\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sam Wigness\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/b594f06d4c2b5e6a0e85af02b90fb883\"},\"headline\":\"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-16T11:55:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-17T18:47:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/\"},\"wordCount\":2201,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"5 Ways That Solar Energy Benefits the Environment\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/\",\"name\":\"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox | Solar.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-16T11:55:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-17T18:47:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"Exploring the arguments surrounding Jevons paradoxy and its applications to energy efficiency and energy policy.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Solar Learning Center\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Pros and Cons of Rooftop Solar in 2026\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/solar-energy-pros-cons\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"5 Ways That Solar Energy Benefits the Environment\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/benefits-of-solar-energy-to-the-environment\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/\",\"name\":\"Solar.com\",\"description\":\"Solar Learning Center\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#organization\",\"name\":\"solar.com\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/assets.solar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Solar.com-Logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/assets.solar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Solar.com-Logo.jpg\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"solar.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Solar.comOfficial\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/b594f06d4c2b5e6a0e85af02b90fb883\",\"name\":\"Sam Wigness\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a95944d778e3e439d9f107c3c2188f9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a95944d778e3e439d9f107c3c2188f9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sam Wigness\"},\"description\":\"Sam started working in solar as a commercial installer in 2011 and has been creating content in the renewable energy, home improvement, and mortgage spaces for over a decade. He's been published by the Associated Press, Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, Home.com, Emeraldology.com and many other digital and print outlets. He's also been cited as a solar expert in The Mortage Reports Sam has a BA in Communication with an Emphasis in Journalism from the University of North Dakota and was named 425 Magazine's \\\"Top 30 Under 30 Professionals\\\" in 2020 while running an sustainable e-commerce startup. Based just outside of Seattle, WA, his 4.5 kW solar system provides enough power for his wife, daughter, and dog -- for now.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/samuel-wigness\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamuelWigness\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/author\/swigness\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox | Solar.com","description":"Exploring the arguments surrounding Jevons paradoxy and its applications to energy efficiency and energy policy.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox","og_description":"Exploring the arguments surrounding Jevons paradoxy and its applications to energy efficiency and energy policy.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/","og_site_name":"Solar.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Solar.comOfficial\/","article_published_time":"2022-08-16T11:55:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-01-17T18:47:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1250,"height":781,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/solarassets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/efficiencyP-04.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sam Wigness","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@SamuelWigness","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sam Wigness","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/"},"author":{"name":"Sam Wigness","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/b594f06d4c2b5e6a0e85af02b90fb883"},"headline":"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox","datePublished":"2022-08-16T11:55:28+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-17T18:47:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/"},"wordCount":2201,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#organization"},"articleSection":["5 Ways That Solar Energy Benefits the Environment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/","url":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/","name":"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox | Solar.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-08-16T11:55:28+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-17T18:47:45+00:00","description":"Exploring the arguments surrounding Jevons paradoxy and its applications to energy efficiency and energy policy.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/the-efficiency-paradox\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Solar Learning Center","item":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Pros and Cons of Rooftop Solar in 2026","item":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/solar-energy-pros-cons\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"5 Ways That Solar Energy Benefits the Environment","item":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/benefits-of-solar-energy-to-the-environment\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Jevons Energy Efficiency Paradox"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/","name":"Solar.com","description":"Solar Learning Center","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#organization","name":"solar.com","url":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/assets.solar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Solar.com-Logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/assets.solar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Solar.com-Logo.jpg","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"solar.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Solar.comOfficial\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/b594f06d4c2b5e6a0e85af02b90fb883","name":"Sam Wigness","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a95944d778e3e439d9f107c3c2188f9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a95944d778e3e439d9f107c3c2188f9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sam Wigness"},"description":"Sam started working in solar as a commercial installer in 2011 and has been creating content in the renewable energy, home improvement, and mortgage spaces for over a decade. He's been published by the Associated Press, Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, Home.com, Emeraldology.com and many other digital and print outlets. He's also been cited as a solar expert in The Mortage Reports Sam has a BA in Communication with an Emphasis in Journalism from the University of North Dakota and was named 425 Magazine's \"Top 30 Under 30 Professionals\" in 2020 while running an sustainable e-commerce startup. Based just outside of Seattle, WA, his 4.5 kW solar system provides enough power for his wife, daughter, and dog -- for now.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/samuel-wigness\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamuelWigness"],"url":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/author\/swigness\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6424"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10393,"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6424\/revisions\/10393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solar.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}