An Analysis of Residential Customers ’ Preferences for Household Energy Systems Hisanori GOTO 1 and Toshio ARIU 2

Home generation systems, such as fuel cell (FC) and photovoltaic (PV), have been developed technologically and are being diffused in various countries for introducing high efficient energy system and renewable energy to electricity supply system. In this study, we analyze the consumers ’ preferences for the household energy systems for reduction of CO2 based on consumer research theory and customer survey data in Japan. We focus on (A) electric household energy system with PV and (B) gas-centered household energy system with gas home generation system as household energy systems for analysis. We collect consumers’ perferences data through questionnarie of Japanese consumers conducted in November 2008. From the analysis based on this data, we showed that energy cost and added values, such as usability and healthy, are important as aspects to choose low carbon energy systems. We showed that policy instruments to reduce energy costs could be important as drivers for those systems diffusions. And we also showed that competitive and innovative environment to encourage energy companies and manufacturers to develop and sell the high-value-added systems