Options
Energy service contracting: an economic perspective
Date de parution
2018
Mots-clés
Résumé
Les contrats de services énergétiques consistent à externaliser au travers d’un contrat de longue durée la provision et l’optimisation de services d’énergie à un contracteur, nommé ESCO (Energy Service Company). Ce modèle d’affaire est perçu dans la littérature comme un instrument de marché prometteur pour déployer des projets liant énergie renouvelable et économies d’énergie. Cette thèse étudie empiriquement les déterminants d’adoption des contrats de service énergétique et les mécanismes économiques sous-jacents. Faisant suite à une introduction générale contenant une revue critique de la littérature, le premier chapitre se concentre sur l’adoption des contrats de fourniture énergétique, alors que le second chapitre examine la volonté d’opter pour des contrats de performance énergétique. Le dernier chapitre explore comment de nouvelles politiques énergétiques pourraient étendre l’offre de ces contrats. Les analyses reposent sur trois bases de données inédites, découlant de choix contractuels réels et de deux expériences à choix (préférences exprimées) ciblant la demande et l’offre potentielles sur le marché des contrats de services énergétiques. L’analyse empirique montre que le partage du risque est un déterminant important dans le choix du client d’adopter de tels contrats. Les économies d’échelle et la confiance ont aussi un impact, alors que le financement par l’ESCO a un effet positif seulement pour une minorité. Les coûts de transactions de ces contrats sont exacerbés par le nombre de décisionnaires impliqués. Du côté de l’offre, seuls d’importants changements sur le marché de l’énergie, par exemple l’introduction de certificats blancs ou une augmentation de la demande de contracting de la part des clients privés et publics, ont un impact significatif sur l’offre. En se basant sur des méthodes empiriques inédites dans le domaine, cette thèse de doctorat offre de nouvelles perspectives sur les mécanismes susceptibles d’étendre la diffusion de ces contrats et ainsi exploiter leur potentiel dans la transition énergétique et les opportunités commerciales.
Abstract:
Energy service contracting consists in the outsourcing of energy-related services to a contractor, an Energy Service Company (ESCO), through a long-term contract. This business model has been deemed, in the literature, a promising market-based instrument to foster the deployment of renewable energy and energy conservation projects. This thesis examines empirically the determinants of adoption of energy service contracting and their underlying economic mechanisms. After a general introduction including a critical literature review, the first chapter focuses on adoption of energy supply contracting (ESC), while the second chapter examines the willingness to opt for energy performance contracting (EPC). The last chapter assesses how new energy policies could expand the supply-side of ESC and EPC. The analyses are based on three original datasets, including real contractual choices and two stated choice experiments targeted at the potential demand and supply of the energy service contracting market. The empirical evidence suggests that risk sharing is an important determinant of the client’s adoption. Economies of scale and trust have also an impact, while the financing from the ESCO has a positive effect only for a minority of energy consumers. The transaction costs involved in these contracts are exacerbated by the number of decision-makers involved. On the supply side, only important changes in the energy market, such as the implementation of White Certificates or an increase in the demand of energy contracting from both public and private clients, have a significant impact on the willingness to enter the ESCO market. Using original empirical methods, this PhD thesis provides new insights in the mechanisms that could foster the diffusion of these contracts and exploit their potential in the energy transition and in business opportunities.
Abstract:
Energy service contracting consists in the outsourcing of energy-related services to a contractor, an Energy Service Company (ESCO), through a long-term contract. This business model has been deemed, in the literature, a promising market-based instrument to foster the deployment of renewable energy and energy conservation projects. This thesis examines empirically the determinants of adoption of energy service contracting and their underlying economic mechanisms. After a general introduction including a critical literature review, the first chapter focuses on adoption of energy supply contracting (ESC), while the second chapter examines the willingness to opt for energy performance contracting (EPC). The last chapter assesses how new energy policies could expand the supply-side of ESC and EPC. The analyses are based on three original datasets, including real contractual choices and two stated choice experiments targeted at the potential demand and supply of the energy service contracting market. The empirical evidence suggests that risk sharing is an important determinant of the client’s adoption. Economies of scale and trust have also an impact, while the financing from the ESCO has a positive effect only for a minority of energy consumers. The transaction costs involved in these contracts are exacerbated by the number of decision-makers involved. On the supply side, only important changes in the energy market, such as the implementation of White Certificates or an increase in the demand of energy contracting from both public and private clients, have a significant impact on the willingness to enter the ESCO market. Using original empirical methods, this PhD thesis provides new insights in the mechanisms that could foster the diffusion of these contracts and exploit their potential in the energy transition and in business opportunities.
Notes
Thèse de doctorat : Université de Neuchâtel, 2018 ; 2672
Identifiants
Type de publication
doctoral thesis
Dossier(s) à télécharger
