 Social networks and renewable energy technology adoption: Empirical evidence from biogas adoption in ChinaPan He, Stefania Lovo and Marcella Veronesi Energy Economics, 2022, vol. 106, issue C Abstract: We provide novel empirical evidence on the association between social networks and the adoption of renewable energy technology. We distinguish between two main transmission mechanisms through which social networks can affect renewable energy technology adoption: information diffusion and social influence. Using primarily collected data on biogas adoption in rural China, we find that both mechanisms are at work. In addition, we find that information spreads through trusted network members, such as friends and family, while social influence is mainly exercised by government officials. Government officials are more likely to promote the adoption of technology leading by example rather than by spreading information. Keywords: Social networks; Social influence; Information diffusion; Renewable energy; Biogas; China (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:106:y:2022:i:c:s0140988321006277 DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105789 Access Statistics for this article Energy Economics is currently edited by R. S. J. Tol, Beng Ang, Lance Bachmeier, Perry Sadorsky, Ugur Soytas and J. P. Weyant More articles in Energy Economics from Elsevier |
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