Research that Informs Business and Public Policy
New paper ranks 219 countries and 1,692 cities based on air conditioning potential. Air conditioner sales are booming worldwide, especially in warm countries with growing economies. But how big is … Continue Reading Heat Exposure and Global Air Conditioning
A randomized controlled trial demonstrates the importance of providing financing for energy-efficient appliances in Kenya. On one of my first trips to Nairobi, Kenya, our local research assistant took me … Continue Reading Closing the Energy Efficiency Gap for Low-Income Households
Electricity can provide more than we think. People talk a lot about the potential benefits of bringing electricity to some of the billion homes in the world that do not … Continue Reading Are We Looking for the Benefits of Rural Electrification in the Wrong Places?
A recent working paper highlights the importance of accounting for environmental protection in measures of GDP. Last November, I gained new appreciation for clean air. It wasn’t because I went … Continue Reading A Better Way to Measure Economic Growth
The transition to new air conditioning refrigerants will involve difficult tradeoffs. Air conditioning (AC) has transformed life in hot and humid countries including the US, Japan and Korea. Over 85 … Continue Reading Weighing Consumer Safety versus Climate Action
(Today’s post is co-authored with Susanna Berkouwer, a Ph.D. candidate at the Energy Institute.) A UC Berkeley-based engineering team thinks the answer is “yes.” Many of us are in the … Continue Reading Can Cell Phones Help Improve Electricity Reliability?
(This post is co-authored with Catherine Wolfram and Derek Wolfson, Energy Institute PhD student researcher) Microgrids are difficult to implement and can be undermined by promises of grid expansion. Nuclear … Continue Reading Are Solar Microgrids the Future in the Developing World?
