test_moissonnage_selune
type: Agent

The costs and benefits of white certificates schemes
type: Dataset
contact point: Organization
  fn: CCSD
keyword: effectiveness
keyword: efficience
keyword: social-efficiency
keyword: shsecohumanities-and-social-scienceseconomics-and-finance
keyword: cout-efficacite
keyword: infoeu-reposemanticspreprint
keyword: cost-effectiveness
keyword: dispositifs-de-certificats-blancs
keyword: energy-efficiency
keyword: efficacite
keyword: preprints-working-papers-
keyword: efficacite-energetique
keyword: white-certificate-schemes
landing page: https://hal.science/hal-00866420
description: White certificate schemes mandate energy companies to promote energy efficiency with flexibility mechanisms, including the trading of energy savings. A unified framework is used to estimate the costs and benefits of the schemes implemented in Great Britain in 2002, in Italy in 2005 and in France in 2006. "Negawatt-hour cost" estimates reach €0.009 per kWh saved in Great Britain and €0.037 per kWh saved in France, which compares favourably to energy prices in those countries. Moreover, the benefits of reduced energy bills and CO2 emissions saved exceed the costs, thus white certificate schemes pay for themselves. Overall, the policy instrument is cost-effective and economically efficient. A closer look at the differences among countries provides general insights about the conceptualization of the instrument : (i) compared to utility demand-side management, to which they are related, white certificate schemes provide more transparency about energy savings, but less transparency around costs ; (ii) the substantial efficiency discrepancy between the British scheme and its French counterpart can be explained by differences in technological potentials, coexisting policies and supply-side systems in these countries ; (iii) the nature and amount of costs influence compliance strategies. Notably, if energy suppliers are allowed to set their retail price freely, they tend to grant subsidies to end-use consumers for energy efficient investments.
issued: 2026-05-09T14:28:54.773189
language: en
modified: 2026-05-09T14:28:54.773193

The costs and benefits of white certificates schemes
type: Distribution
access URL: https://hal.science/hal-00866420
format: HTML
issued: 2026-05-09T14:28:54.779892
modified: 2026-05-09T14:28:54.756104