Conversion of Residential Heating Systems from Fossil Fuels to Biofuels: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Diana A. Londoño-Pulgarín, Francisco Muñoz-Leiva and Esmeralda Crespo-Almendros
Additional contact information
Diana A. Londoño-Pulgarín: Department Marketing and Market Research, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Granada, Campus La Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
Francisco Muñoz-Leiva: Department Marketing and Market Research, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Granada, Campus La Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
Esmeralda Crespo-Almendros: Department Marketing and Market Research, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Granada, Campus La Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-24

Abstract: This paper aims to analyse: (a) how the attitude towards renewable energy-based heating systems, pro-environmental behaviour and the perceived attributes of technology influence intention to convert residential heating systems from fossil fuels to biofuels, and (b) the moderating role of culture based on Hofstede’s individualism dimension. A total of 425 responses were collected from a panel of internet users from representative countries in three continents (the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa); the data analysis was carried out using structural equation models in a multigroup analysis. The results showed that attitude towards renewable energy-based heating systems is influenced by environmental variables in the United States and the United Kingdom, and by the perceived attributes of clean residential heating systems in the United States and South Africa. Attitude, in turn, impacts on the intention to convert from fossil fuels to biofuels. In addition, individualism has a moderating effect between these variables and there are intercultural differences in the degree of importance attributed to them. The study concludes the use of these energy systems as drivers of environmentally-sustainable development.

Keywords: environmentally-sustainable development; renewable energy sources; fossil fuels; residential heating systems; intention to convert to bio-fuels; cross-cultural analysis (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: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/19/5063/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/19/5063/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:19:p:5063-:d:420268

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().