Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name:  Raina Gandhi, Christopher R. Knittel, Paula Pedro,and Catherine Wolfram
Title:  Running Randomized Field Experiments for Energy Efficiency Programs: A Practitioners Guide
Classification-JEL: F0
Volume:  Volume 5
Issue:  Number 2
Year:  2016
Abstract:  Researchers and professional evaluators are increasingly turning to randomized field experiments to evaluate energy efficiency programs and policies. This article provides a brief overview of several experimental methods and discusses their application to energy efficiency programs. We highlight experimental designs, such as randomized encouragement and recruit-and-deny, that are particularly well suited for situations where participation cannot be enforced. The article then discusses several implementation issues that can arise and characterizes applications that are a good fit for a randomized experiment. We also address the most common objections to field experiments, and share the best practices to consider when designing and implementing a field experiment in this space. 
Handle: RePEc:aen:eeepjl:eeep5-2-Gandhi
File-URL: http://www.iaee.org/en/publications/eeeparticle.aspx?id=126
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