Switching from fossil fuel to renewables in residential heating systems: An empirical study of homeowners' decisions in Germany

Carl Christian Michelsen and Reinhard Madlener

Energy Policy, 2016, vol. 89, issue C, 95-105

Abstract: The replacement of outdated and inefficient fossil fuel residential heating systems (RHS) by more efficient and less CO2-intensive appliances primarily based on renewable energy sources is an important pillar for the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. This paper empirically investigates drivers and barriers behind homeowners' decisions to switch from a fossil fuel to a renewable RHS in Germany. For this purpose, we draw on data from a 2010 questionnaire survey among owners of existing single-family and duplex houses in Germany that had received a financial grant to install an RHS (i.e. condensing boiler with solar thermal support, heat pump or wood pellet boiler). We show that environmental protection, a lower dependency on fossil fuels, and a higher degree of RHS-related knowledge are key drivers. In contrast, the perceived difficulty of getting used to the system and a misunderstanding of its principal functioning are obstacles for the heat pump. For the wood pellet boiler, perceived barriers include the low usability, the labor-intensive operation, and the systems' fault liability. Hence, a higher replacement rate requires the willingness to relinquish old habits and perceptions of how an RHS works and operates.

Keywords: Residential heating systems; Private households; Technology replacement; Adoption barriers; Consumer choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (61)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Switching from Fossil Fuel to Renewables in Residential Heating Systems: An Empirical Study of Homeowners’ Decisions in Germany (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:enepol:v:89:y:2016:i:c:p:95-105

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.11.018

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