Theodoros Zachariadis

An Econometric Analysis of Residential Water Demand in Cyprus

This paper analyses econometrically residential water demand in the three major urban areas of Cyprus, a semi-arid country with medium to high income levels. Water demand turns out to be inelastic, but not insensitive, to prices; price elasticity is less than unity in absolute terms, but significantly different from zero. The analysis further shows that periodic interruptions in household water supply, which were applied as an urgent water saving measure in 2008–2009, did not encourage water conservation among the population. The paper discusses these results, pointing at the need for appropriate water pricing policies and long-term planning in order to move towards sustainable water resource management.

Welfare Implications of Car Feebates: A Simulation Analysis

Vehicle taxation based on emissions is increasingly being adopted worldwide to shift consumer purchases to low‐carbon cars, yet evidence on its effectiveness and economic impact is limited. We focus on feebate schemes, which impose a fee on high‐carbon vehicles and give a rebate to low‐carbon cars. We estimate demand for passenger cars in Germany and simulate the impact of alternative feebate schemes on emissions, consumer welfare, public revenues and firm profits. We find that revenue‐neutral feebate schemes are welfare decreasing; welfare can only increase with schemes that increase tax revenues at the expense of consumer and producer surplus.

Reconciliation of macroscale and microscale motor vehicle emission estimates

A generalised approach is presented for the compilation of spatially and temporally disaggregated motor vehicle emission inventories. Top-down (macroscale) and bottom-up (microscale) estimates of activity data and emission factors are carried out independently and are then compared and reconciled in order to produce estimates with the fewest possible uncertainties. The proposed methodology was applied with some simplifications in the urban area of Thessaloniki, and a disaggregated traffic emission inventory was created, showing that in principle it is possible to bring in line top-down and bottom-up assessments.

Validation of road transport statistics through energy efficiency calculations

The paper presents an approach to validate vehicle-kilometre statistics of motor vehicles by comparing them with official energy consumption data. The comparisons were carried out for the 15 European Union countries by computing the energy efficiency and the fuel economy of individual vehicle categories and comparing them with real-world data and model calculations. The major outcome of the study was that estimates of vehicle-kilometres are often unreliable and yield unrealistic energy efficiency and specific fuel consumption results. Based on these conclusions, some basic guidelines are given for energy and road transport analyses: use fuel economy estimates based on measurements of in-use cars under actual driving conditions, collect as many travel data as possible and check their consistency with the aid of energy balances.

Alternative short tests for inspection and maintenance of in-use cars with respect to their emissions performance

This paper presents the first results of a project aimed at evaluation of a number of short tests that can be alternatively used for Inspection and Maintenance of in-use cars emissions performance. For this purpose, a large number of in-use cars from four European countries was tested according to a test protocol that included a wide selection of short tests (idle and fast idle tests, a steady-state loaded test and short transient loaded tests), in addition to the legislated New European Driving Cycle and a number of real-world cycles. The test results were statistically analysed in a number of different combinations, with the objective to define a set of reasonable cutpoints, taking into account various criteria such as errors of commission, errors of omission, excess emitter identification rate and excess emission identification rate.

Quantifying the water–energy nexus in Greece

ABSTRACT In this paper we provide an assessment of the water–energy nexus for Greece. More specifically, the amount of freshwater consumed per unit of energy produced is determined: for both conventional (lignite, diesel and fuel oil-fired) and advanced (combined operation of gas turbine) thermal power plants in the electricity generation sector; for extraction and refining activities in the primary energy production sector; and for the production of biodiesel that is used as a blend in the ultimately delivered automotive diesel fuel. In addition, the amount of electricity consumed for the purposes of water supply and sewerage is presented. In view of the expected effects of climate change in the Mediterranean region, the results of this study highlight the need for authorities to prepare a national strategy that will ensure climate resilience in both energy and water sectors of the country.

Welfare Implications of Automobile Feebates: A Simulation Analysis

Vehicle taxation based on CO2 emissions is increasingly being adopted worldwide in order to shift consumer purchases to low-carbon cars, yet evidence on its effectiveness and economic impact is limited. We focus on feebate schemes, which impose a fee on high-carbon vehicles and give a rebate to low-carbon automobiles. We estimate demand for automobiles in Germany and simulate the impact of alternative feebate schemes on emissions, consumer welfare, public revenues and firm profits. We find that revenue-neutral feebate schemes are welfare-decreasing; welfare can only increase with schemes that increase tax revenues at the expense of consumer and producer surplus.

Designing Carbon Taxation Schemes for Automobiles: A Simulation Exercise for Germany

Vehicle taxation based on CO2 emissions is increasingly being adopted worldwide in order to shift consumer purchases to low-carbon cars, yet little is known about the effectiveness and overall economic impact of these schemes. We focus on feebate schemes, which impose a fee on high-carbon vehicles and give a rebate to purchasers of low-carbon automobiles. We estimate a discrete choice model of demand for automobiles in Germany and simulate the impact of alternative feebate schemes on emissions, consumer welfare, public revenues and firm profits. The analysis shows that a well-designed scheme can lead to emission reductions without reducing overall welfare.

Exploring the Relationship between Energy Use and Economic Growth with Simple Models: Evidence from Five OECD Countries

There is a rapidly growing literature on the interaction between energy use and economic development, with many analysts drawing policy conclusions on the basis of Granger causality tests that involve only an energy and an economic variable. This paper attempts to demonstrate empirically that such studies, although useful for certain applications, may be of limited use for policy purposes. After outlining theoretical and methodological issues associated with such approaches, I apply bivariate energy-economy causality tests for France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, using aggregate and sectoral data and three different modern econometric methods. The results, which are often contradictory or economically implausible, illustrate explicitly that one should be cautious when drawing policy implications with the aid of bivariate causality tests on small samples. I therefore underline the importance of using multivariate models, which are closer to economic theory, accommodate several mechanisms and causality channels and provide a better representation of real-world interactions between energy use and economic growth.

REPLACEMENT CATALYSTS FOR IN-USE CARS

Five aftermarket three-way catalytic converters that are available in the Greek market were evaluated in terms of their conversion efficiency by installing them on the same car and measuring the hot emissions from each at the New European Driving Cycle and two driving cycles of short duration. The results show differences in the cars emission levels with each catalyst, but also discrepancies in repeat measurements of the three converters. The differences between the relevant regulations that are effective in the US and those proposed for Europe are discussed.