A conceptual framework for understanding rebound effects with renewable electricity: A new challenge for decarbonizing the electricity sector

We develop a conceptual framework for investigating rebound effects that occur consequent to increases in renewable electricity generation and use. This is vitally important due to countries' emerging commitments to decarbonize economies through sector-coupling and strategies such as the large-scale use of green hydrogen produced by electrolysis from renewable electricity. Rebound effects have been extensively studied in relation to energy efficiency, where they represent shortfalls in the achievement of expected energy savings after efficiency upgrades. We identify four clear elements that are essential to rebound studies to date: (a) an energy efficiency increase; (b) an associated shortfall in energy savings; (c) a clear chain of cause-and-effect from (a) to (b); and (d) a transparent, policy-useful means of quantifying the rebound effect. Our contribution to the literature is that we transfer this schema to the domain of renewable electricity, focusing on an increase in renewable energy for (a) and appropriate modifications to (b), (c) and (d). We offer this schema as a useful framework for research moving forward into rigorous and detailed investigation of rebound effects in the domain of renewable electricity. (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The study develops a conceptual framework for investigating rebound effects following increases in renewable electricity generation and use. By transferring rebound research from energy efficiency to renewable electricity, it identifies key elements including energy efficiency improvements and transparent quantification of rebound effects.