This is a research report from one of the Work Areas on “Behavioral Policies for the Energiewende”, prepared within the Kopernikus-Project “Energiewende-Navigationssystem” (ENAVI), financed by the German Ministry of Education and Research.
The report consist of two parts: Firstly, it presents a systematic literature review covering the empirical evidence of the effectiveness of two types of nudges - defaults and active choice - as behaviorally informed policy instruments for sustainable consumption in general and renewable energy use in specific. Secondly, it reports on a market research study on the actual application and use of renewable energy defaults by energy providers in Germany as of 2017. It closes with suggestions for research and policy.
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