| Abstract: | This paper presents an investigation into the extent to which seasonal time adjustments (summer and winter time) lead to energy savings for private households. The work is based on data from two selected electricity providers in the cities of Kassel and Kempten. By means of a multiple regression model, the electricity utilization of German households was explained with respect to hours of darkness, temperature and global radiation. These variables formed the basis for calculating scenarios with and without seasonal time adjustments. On a comparative basis, summer time throughout the year is associated with the greatest energy savings. We argue that the reason for this is that the highest energy consumption can be observed in the evenings, and continual summer time takes the greatest advantage of the available light of the evening hours. |
