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

Spyridon Karytsas, Ioannis Vardopoulos and Eleni Theodoropoulou
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Spyridon Karytsas: Geothermal Energy Department, Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), 19009 Pikermi, Greece
Ioannis Vardopoulos: Department of Home Economics and Ecology, School of Environment, Geography and Applied Economics, Harokopio University (HUA), 17671 Kallithea, Greece
Eleni Theodoropoulou: Department of Home Economics and Ecology, School of Environment, Geography and Applied Economics, Harokopio University (HUA), 17671 Kallithea, Greece

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: microgeneration technologies; market acceptance; household adoption; socioeconomic characteristics; residence characteristics; environmental behavior; attribute preferences; motivations and barriers; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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