Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology
The world is currently facing a huge severe challenge in handling the issue of climate change. One of the ways to lower the green house gas emissions, which is seen as one of the main contributor to the climate crisis, is to use renewable technologies such as for example photovoltaic (PV) systems. P...
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| Formato: | H2 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
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SLU/Dept. of Economics
2013
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855570816018677760 |
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| author | von Sabsay, Martina |
| author_browse | von Sabsay, Martina |
| author_facet | von Sabsay, Martina |
| author_sort | von Sabsay, Martina |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | The world is currently facing a huge severe challenge in handling the issue of climate change. One of the ways to lower the green house gas emissions, which is seen as one of the main contributor to the climate crisis, is to use renewable technologies such as for example photovoltaic (PV) systems. PV-systems are also suitable for so called micro production, small scale energy production facilities, since it can be placed on practically any rooftop with the right solar conditions. In Sweden the usage of PV-systems has not yet gotten any wider spreading, even though the solar radiation conditions are very similar to countries that produce a lot of solar energy, as for example Germany.
The aim of this paper is to describe non-adopter perceptions of PV-systems. The study holds a qualitative approach using deep interviews for data collection. Theoretical framework used is Rogers (2003) diffusion of innovations, and the innovation characteristics of relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, observability and trailability. The main findings is that the relative advantage is perceived as negative in terms of finances, but that some of the respondents overestimates the payback times as well as stated payback times that are well within the price levels of today when getting the questions of what levels that would make them seriously interested in getting a PV-system. Further, PV-systems are generally seen as an environmental friendly technology, which is positive for the relative advantage attribute, but with some of the respondents raising doubts about the actual environmental benefits by a life cycle approach. A finding in this study is also that PV-systems are seen as being very easy to use, which indicates a positive view of the characteristic of complexity. |
| format | H2 |
| id | RepoSLU5267 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés swe |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Economics |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Economics |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU52672013-02-12T11:30:45Z Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology von Sabsay, Martina attitude customer attitude customer perceptions diffusion of innovations micro production microgeneration photovoltaic solar panel The world is currently facing a huge severe challenge in handling the issue of climate change. One of the ways to lower the green house gas emissions, which is seen as one of the main contributor to the climate crisis, is to use renewable technologies such as for example photovoltaic (PV) systems. PV-systems are also suitable for so called micro production, small scale energy production facilities, since it can be placed on practically any rooftop with the right solar conditions. In Sweden the usage of PV-systems has not yet gotten any wider spreading, even though the solar radiation conditions are very similar to countries that produce a lot of solar energy, as for example Germany. The aim of this paper is to describe non-adopter perceptions of PV-systems. The study holds a qualitative approach using deep interviews for data collection. Theoretical framework used is Rogers (2003) diffusion of innovations, and the innovation characteristics of relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, observability and trailability. The main findings is that the relative advantage is perceived as negative in terms of finances, but that some of the respondents overestimates the payback times as well as stated payback times that are well within the price levels of today when getting the questions of what levels that would make them seriously interested in getting a PV-system. Further, PV-systems are generally seen as an environmental friendly technology, which is positive for the relative advantage attribute, but with some of the respondents raising doubts about the actual environmental benefits by a life cycle approach. A finding in this study is also that PV-systems are seen as being very easy to use, which indicates a positive view of the characteristic of complexity. Världen står inför en stor utmaning i att hantera de just nu pågående klimatförändringarna. Den största bidragande faktorn för det förändrande klimatet, och följande klimatkris, ses som de höga halterna av växthusgaser i atmosfären. Ett sätt att sänka dessa är att avhända större andel förnyelsebara produktionskällor för energi, såsom exempelvis solceller. Solceller är även användbara för så kallad mikroproduktion då de kan placeras på i princip alla hustak som har rätt solläge. I vissa länder har användandet av solceller spridigt sig rejält, och i exempelvis Tyskland står redan idag solcellerna för 2% av landets totala energikonsumtion. I Sverige har dock solceller inte fått någon bredare spridning ännu, trots att solinstrålningsnivåerna här är likvärdiga dem i Tyskland. Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att beskriva vilka attityder och föreställningar det finns om solcellssystem bland icke-adoptanter. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och använder djupintervjuer som empirisk datainsamlingsmetod. Som teoretiskt ramverk används Rogers (2003) teori diffusion of innovations, och innovationsattributen relativ fördel, komplexitet, kompabilitet, synlighet och prövbarhet. De främsta fynden är att solcellsystem ses som en icke gynnsam ekonomisk investering vilket påverkar attributet relativ fördel negativt. Samtidigt så överskattar vissa respondenter återbetalningstiden, samt anger återbetalningstider som ligger väl inom ramen för hur prisläget faktiskt ser ut idag som svar på frågan om vilken återbetalningstid som skulle göra dem själv seriöst intresserade av att skaffa ett solcellssystem. Ett annat fynd är att solcellssystem generellt sett ses som en miljövänlig teknik, vilket är positivt för aspekten av relativ fördel samt kompabilitet med värderingar. Vissa av respondenterna hade dock tvivel på hur miljövänliga solcellssystem är sett till ett livscykelperspektiv. Ett ytterligare fynd är att solcellssystem sågs som en mycket användarvänlig teknologi, vilket innebär en positiv syn på attributet komplexitet. SLU/Dept. of Economics 2013 H2 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/5267/ |
| spellingShingle | attitude customer attitude customer perceptions diffusion of innovations micro production microgeneration photovoltaic solar panel von Sabsay, Martina Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology |
| title | Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology |
| title_full | Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology |
| title_fullStr | Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology |
| title_short | Perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology |
| title_sort | perceptions of domestic solar systems : a study on non-adopter views of a new technology |
| topic | attitude customer attitude customer perceptions diffusion of innovations micro production microgeneration photovoltaic solar panel |