Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/43467 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
Nota di Lavoro No. 2010,106
Publisher: 
Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), Milano
Abstract: 
This paper investigates the impact of alternative environmental policy instruments on technological innovations aiming to improve energy-efficiency in buildings. The empirical analysis focuses on three main types of policy instruments, namely regulatory energy standards in buildings codes, energy taxes as captured by energy prices and specific governmental energy R&D expenditures. Technological innovation is measured using patent counts for specific technologies related to energy-efficiency in buildings (e.g. insulation, high-efficiency boilers, energy-saving lightings). The estimates for seven European countries over the 1989-2004 period imply that a strengthening of 10% of the minimum insulation standards for walls would increase the likelihood to file additional patents by about 3%. In contrast, energy prices have no significant effect on the likelihood to patent. Governmental energy R&D support has a small positive significant effect on patenting activities.
Subjects: 
Innovation
Technological Change
Patents
Energy-Efficiency
Buildings
Environmental Policy
JEL: 
O31
O34
Q55
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
348.74 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.