How does satisfaction of solar PV users enhance their trust in the power grid? - Evidence from PPAPs in rural China

Abstract

Background Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Projects (PPAPs) have been implemented in Chinese rural areas since 2014. As a new energy policy, PPAPs have played an important role in alleviating rural poverty. However, the adoption of solar PV faces multiple barriers from the perspective of beneficiaries. Therefore, this study aims to discuss and analyze factors affecting beneficiaries’ satisfaction and their trust in State Grid, promoting the adoption of solar PV. Methods Based on the integrated American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and Unified Theory of Acception and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, this study used the Structural Equation Model (SEM) to reveal how the beneficiaries’ satisfaction enhance their trust in State Grid. The data were obtained from a survey of 928 PPAPs’ beneficiaries by stratified and random sampling in Chinese rural areas. Results The results confirm that environmental perception in this study has positive impact on beneficiaries’ satisfaction. In addition, perceived quality also has a positive effect on beneficiaries’ satisfaction and trust in State Grid; however, social influence has a negative impact on beneficiaries’ satisfaction; behavior expectation can directly promote beneficiaries’ satisfaction while indirectly propel their trust in State Grid. Conclusions This study constructs an integrated customer satisfaction model from the perspective of beneficiaries and proposes relevant measures to promote the adoption of solar PV that can be applied to poverty reduction in other developing countries worldwide.

Accepting Solar Photovoltaic Panels in Rural Landscapes: The Tangle among Nostalgia, Morality, and Economic Stakes

“…The economic stakes in rooftop and agricultural PV panels include energy production, agricultural production, feed-in tariff (FIT), and policy subsidies [53][54][55]. Influential stakeholders can be roughly distinguished into five groups: social network of private persons, stakeholders related to the energy system and PV-related services, government and other institutions, the media, and the others [56].…”

Technical Evaluation of Photovoltaic Systems in the Bamenda Municipality of the North West Region of Cameroon

“…It is no longer an emphasis that energy is essential for human well-being, poverty reduction, and sustainable development [1][2][3][4][5]. It is projected that the demand for energy will increase signifcantly by 2035 due to demographic growth and mobility, economic development, urbanization, technological changes, and climate change.…”

“…In the Bamenda Municipality of the North West Region of Cameroon, many a households are adopting Solar Photovoltaic Systems (SPVS) to meet their household energy challenges. Users' satisfaction is crucial for the success of these SPVS in the Bamenda Municipality [1]. Users' satisfaction depends on the technical performance of the SPVS which is a function of system design, the component used (type and size of inverter, battery, and charge controller), quality of system installation, orientation, amongst other technical factors.…”

“…Users' satisfaction depends on the technical performance of the SPVS which is a function of system design, the component used (type and size of inverter, battery, and charge controller), quality of system installation, orientation, amongst other technical factors. Te penetration of SPVS in the Bamenda Municipality and other communities of Cameroon as well as in other countries in sub-Sahara Africa depends very much on the technical performance and the satisfaction users derive from this technology [1,4,13].…”

Photovoltaic Projects for Multidimensional Poverty Alleviation: Bibliometric Analysis and State of the Art

“…Considering applications in semiarid regions, significant attention has been given to water scarcity (Nobre et al, 2019). Most studies aiming to validate the results of such projects are related to financial impacts and environmental indicators (Han et al, 2020; or assessment of the user satisfaction with renewable energy technologies (Ding et al, 2021(Ding et al, , 2022Mirza, 2015). Another research field associates the use of renewable technologies, especially PV, with the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), emissions and air quality improvement (Acosta-Pazmiño et al, 2021;Brunet et al, 2021;Papadopoulou et al, 2019).…”