This study analyses the distributional impacts of investment subsidies paid to households that install residential energy technologies based on renewable energy sources. The subsidies, covering a significant part of the total investment, play a considerable role in households' energy decisions. Depending on their design, support measures may provide the most benefits to certain groups of society and thus, may cause increasing inequality. The potential distributional impacts of the investment subsidies are determined by the combination of technologies targeted and their costs, household income, support intensity, subsidy design restrictions, and the availability of additional measures. This study examines the support system for residential renewable energy technologies in the Lithuanian case by employing a microsimulation model. This analysis of existing measures provides more general results and highlights the policy features that cause distributional impacts. Therefore, the results are applicable in other countries as well. The analysis shows that although the support is efficient from an energy point of view, it provides the most benefits to households with higher income and thus, increases inequality. Moreover, the subsidies fail to reduce energy poverty due to the poorest households’ low capacity to invest. To obtain a flatter distribution of benefits, the design of support measures should consider the current situation of lower-income households and affordability issues.

这项研究分析了支付给安装了基于可再生能源的居民能源技术的家庭的投资补贴的分布影响。补贴占总投资的很大一部分，在家庭的能源决策中起着相当重要的作用。根据其设计，支持措施可能为某些社会群体提供最大的收益，因此可能导致不平等加剧。投资补贴的潜在分配影响取决于目标技术及其成本，家庭收入，支持强度，补贴设计限制以及是否有其他措施。本研究通过采用微观模拟模型，考察了立陶宛案例中的住宅可再生能源技术的支持系统。对现有措施的分析提供了更一般的结果，并突出了引起分配影响的政策特征。因此，结果也适用于其他国家。分析表明，尽管从能源的角度来看，这种支持是有效的，但它为收入较高的家庭提供了最大的利益，因此加剧了不平等现象。此外，由于最贫困家庭的投资能力低下，补贴未能减少能源贫困。为了获得更平坦的利益分配，支持措施的设计应考虑低收入家庭的现状和负担能力问题。分析表明，尽管从能源的角度来看，这种支持是有效的，但它为收入较高的家庭提供了最大的利益，因此加剧了不平等现象。此外，由于最贫困家庭的投资能力低下，补贴未能减少能源贫困。为了获得更平坦的利益分配，支持措施的设计应考虑低收入家庭的现状和负担能力问题。分析表明，尽管从能源的角度来看，这种支持是有效的，但它为收入较高的家庭提供了最大的利益，因此加剧了不平等现象。此外，由于最贫困家庭的投资能力低下，补贴未能减少能源贫困。为了获得更平坦的利益分配，支持措施的设计应考虑低收入家庭的现状和负担能力问题。