Understanding the uneven diffusion of building-scale renewable energy systems: A review of household, local and country level factors in diverse European countries

Heiskanen, Eva; Matschoss, Kaisa

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.027

Cited by 89 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…We agree with several authors [51][52][53][54][55] on the importance of social influence, particularly the influence of recommendations from friends and neighbours on households' decisions as to whether to adopt solar systems. The interest of end users and stakeholders in reflecting a specific social identity appeared to be of significance in influencing the adoption process [55].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Understanding Stakeholders’ Views and the Influence of the Socio-Cultural Dimension on the Adoption of Solar Energy Technology in Lebanon

2018

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Abstract:In light of climate change and global commitments, a great amount of programs and policies have been implemented by governments targeting the diffusion of renewable energy technologies. Successful diffusion relies on the understanding, persuasion and acceptance by consumers and other stakeholders. This article investigates the views, roles and influence of stakeholders on the adoption of solar energy technology in Lebanon. The main research questions are: What are the stakeholders' views, roles and influence on the diffusion process of solar energy technologies? And are specific socio-cultural factors therein that influenced adoption? The influence of different stakeholders (end users, public representatives, banking sector, suppliers, consultants and NGOs) was assessed via qualitative data analysis, in particular semi-structured interviews. Our research perspective combines grounded and critical theoretical approaches with a case study research design allowing for a semi-inductive process to elaborate and complement new insights to the current body of literature on adoption of clean technology innovation, with a particular focus on the socio-cultural dimension. The results show that contextual factors, specifically related to the social, cultural, geographic and market dimensions, played a crucial role in shaping market development, especially in relation to the uptake of solar energy technology by different consumer groups. Based on the results of this study we argue that more scholarly attention should be awarded to the influence of the socio-cultural dimension and stakeholders' perspectives on adoption of renewable energy technology.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Understanding Stakeholders’ Views and the Influence of the Socio-Cultural Dimension on the Adoption of Solar Energy Technology in Lebanon

2018

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“…This is a common issue when dealing with residential energy efficiency investments, referred to as the landlord/tenant dilemma [94]. Heiskanen and Matschoss [95] have highlighted that new financial and organizational solutions have to be found for the diffusion of building-scale RES systems when considering multifamily buildings and low-income households, rather than the auspicious market of middle-class, owner-occupied, single-family homes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting Sustainable Market Acceptance of Residential Microgeneration Technologies. A Two Time Period Comparative Analysis

2019

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On a global scale, the residential sector is responsible for a significant part of consumed energy, of which the major part is dependent upon fossil fuels. A solution for the reduction of fossil fuel use is the application of residential microgeneration technologies. The present study examines the market acceptance factors of such systems in Greece, as well as how these factors change over time, based on real decisions made by consumers. In this context, two surveys applying a common questionnaire were performed in 2012 and 2019 in order to examine the effects of (a) socioeconomic, residence, and spatial characteristics, (b) environmental awareness and behavior, and (c) factors related to consumer behavior, attitudes, and system attribute preferences. Factors affecting the installation of a microgeneration system are gender, age, income, residence type, ownership and size, environmental behavior, use of a subsidy program, as well as views on costs and market-related issues. When evaluating the effect of these factors over time, socioeconomic and residence characteristics, as well as environmental behavior, seem to have a fixed effect to the installation of residential microgeneration systems, with market acceptance fluctuations being related mainly to market conditions, including existing subsidy programs, expectations on fuel prices, and legislation.

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“…However, the existing studies vary widely in terms of the technologies considered, the research designs applied and determinants taken into account. Balcombe et al (2013), Heiskanen and Matschoss (2017), and Kastner and Stern (2015) provide general reviews of the literature. Given these comprehensive reviews, here we focus on two aspects particularly relevant for our study.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A satisfactory answer to this question is of major interest for policymakers attempting to boost the expansion of renewable technologies in the household sector. Finding a satisfactory answer is an empirical task, which has led to a rich literature (see Heiskanen and Matschoss (2017) for a recent overview). This literature focuses on the role of sociodemographic and housing characteristics (e.g., Mills and Schleich, 2009), environmental concern (e.g., Welsch and Kühling, 2009), or personality traits (e.g., Busic-Sontic and Fuerst, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of renewable technology adoption in the household sector

et al. 2019

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This series presents research findings based either directly on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel study (SOEP) or using SOEP data as part of an internationally comparable data set (e.g. CNEF, ECHP, LIS, LWS, CHER/PACO). SOEP is a truly multidisciplinary household panel study covering a wide range of social and behavioral sciences: economics, sociology, psychology, survey methodology, econometrics and applied statistics, educational science, political science, public health, behavioral genetics, demography, geography, and sport science.The decision to publish a submission in SOEPpapers is made by a board of editors chosen by the DIW Berlin to represent the wide range of disciplines covered by SOEP. There is no external referee process and papers are either accepted or rejected without revision. Papers appear in this series as works in progress and may also appear elsewhere. They often represent preliminary studies and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be requested from the author directly.Any opinions expressed in this series are those of the author(s) and not those of DIW Berlin. Research disseminated by DIW Berlin may include views on public policy issues, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The SOEPpapers are available at AbstractUsing representative household survey panel data from Germany, we undertake a simultaneous assessment of the importance of factors that have individually been found significant for the adoption of renewable energy systems but have never been tested jointly. These are sociodemographic and housing characteristics, environmental concern, personality traits, and economic factors, i.e. the expected costs of and revenue from the investment. Our results suggest that household decisions to invest in photovoltaic systems and solar thermal facilities are mainly driven by the economic factors.Taking account of sociodemographic and housing characteristics, environmental concern or personality traits has comparatively little relevance, while the quantitative nexus between the decision to invest and returns on the investment is robust to their inclusion.

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Understanding the uneven diffusion of building-scale renewable energy systems: A review of household, local and country level factors in diverse European countries

Cited by 89 publications

References 97 publications

Understanding Stakeholders’ Views and the Influence of the Socio-Cultural Dimension on the Adoption of Solar Energy Technology in Lebanon

Understanding Stakeholders’ Views and the Influence of the Socio-Cultural Dimension on the Adoption of Solar Energy Technology in Lebanon

Factors Affecting Sustainable Market Acceptance of Residential Microgeneration Technologies. A Two Time Period Comparative Analysis

Drivers of renewable technology adoption in the household sector

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