IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v75y2015icp407-415.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Intentions to adopt photovoltaic systems depend on homeowners' expected personal gains and behavior of peers

Author

Listed:
  • Korcaj, Liridon
  • Hahnel, Ulf J.J.
  • Spada, Hans

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) system adoption in Germany is mainly driven by a feed-in tariff that guarantees a financial return on investment. To promote adoption in the future absence of this tariff, we explored further motives of homeowners relevant to PV system purchase intention. A sample of 200 homeowners who did not own a PV system participated in an online-survey. Only few homeowners actually planned to adopt a PV system. However, basic willingness to adopt a PV system was high, whereas willingness to pay was low - hinting at a potentially growing market with falling prices. Using path analysis, we show that the subjective norm (i.e. peer behavior and expectations) and the attitude towards PV were strong predictors of purchase intention. Attitude towards PV systems was mainly based on aspirations of social status, autarky, and financial gains, whereas costs, efforts, and risks associated with PV systems were detrimental to attitude. We conclude that to promote further adoption, energy storage systems that increase financial savings and autarky need to be improved and marketed. Furthermore, institutionalized tests of PV systems and labels need to be introduced to reduce risk perceptions among homeowners willing to adopt a PV system.

Suggested Citation

  • Korcaj, Liridon & Hahnel, Ulf J.J. & Spada, Hans, 2015. "Intentions to adopt photovoltaic systems depend on homeowners' expected personal gains and behavior of peers," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 407-415.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:75:y:2015:i:c:p:407-415
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2014.10.007
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148114006326
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2014.10.007?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. Welsch, Heinz & Kühling, Jan, 2009. "Determinants of pro-environmental consumption: The role of reference groups and routine behavior," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 166-176, November.
    3. Schleicher-Tappeser, Ruggero, 2012. "How renewables will change electricity markets in the next five years," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 64-75.
    4. Masini, Andrea & Menichetti, Emanuela, 2012. "The impact of behavioural factors in the renewable energy investment decision making process: Conceptual framework and empirical findings," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 28-38.
    5. Andrea Masini & E. Menichetti, 2012. "The impact of behavioural factors in the renewable energy investment decision making process: Conceptual framework and empirical findings," Post-Print hal-00651706, HAL.
    6. Bagwell, Laurie Simon & Bernheim, B Douglas, 1996. "Veblen Effects in a Theory of Conspicuous Consumption," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 349-373, June.
    7. Jager, Wander, 2006. "Stimulating the diffusion of photovoltaic systems: A behavioural perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(14), pages 1935-1943, September.
    8. Zhang, Xiaoling & Shen, Liyin & Chan, Sum Yee, 2012. "The diffusion of solar energy use in HK: What are the barriers?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 241-249.
    9. East, Robert, 1993. "Investment decisions and the theory of planned behaviour," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 337-375, June.
    10. Brudermann, Thomas & Reinsberger, Kathrin & Orthofer, Anita & Kislinger, Martin & Posch, Alfred, 2013. "Photovoltaics in agriculture: A case study on decision making of farmers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 96-103.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yamashiro, Ririka & Mori, Akihisa, 2023. "Combined third-party ownership and aggregation business model for the adoption of rooftop solar PV–battery systems: Implications from the case of Miyakojima Island, Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    2. Giest, Sarah & Mukherjee, Ishani, 2018. "Behavioral instruments in renewable energy and the role of big data: A policy perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 360-366.
    3. Khuong, Phuong M. & Scheller, Fabian & McKenna, Russell & Keles, Dogan & Fichtner, Wolf, 2020. "Willingness to pay for residential PV: Reconciling gaps between acceptance and adoption," Working Paper Series in Production and Energy 46, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Industrial Production (IIP).
    4. Thipnapa Huansuriya & Kris Ariyabuddhiphongs, 2023. "Predicting Residential Photovoltaic Adoption Intention of Potential Prosumers in Thailand: A Theory of Planned Behavior Model," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-20, August.
    5. Nagarajan Shanmugavel & Rema Rajendran, 2022. "Adoption of Rainwater Harvesting: a Dual-factor Approach by Integrating Theory of Planned Behaviour and Norm Activation Model," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(8), pages 2827-2845, June.
    6. Kowalska-Pyzalska, Anna, 2018. "What makes consumers adopt to innovative energy services in the energy market? A review of incentives and barriers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3570-3581.
    7. Wang, Chaofan & Wang, Yilan & Zhao, Yujia & Shuai, Jing & Shuai, Chuanmin & Cheng, Xin, 2023. "Cognition process and influencing factors of rural residents' adoption willingness for solar PV poverty alleviation projects: Evidence from a mixed methodology in rural China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    8. Ryszard Kata & Kazimierz Cyran & Sławomir Dybka & Małgorzata Lechwar & Rafał Pitera, 2021. "Economic and Social Aspects of Using Energy from PV and Solar Installations in Farmers’ Households in the Podkarpackie Region," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-21, May.
    9. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2016. "What makes consumers adopt to innovative energy services in the energy market?," HSC Research Reports HSC/16/09, Hugo Steinhaus Center, Wroclaw University of Technology.
    10. Polzin, Friedemann, 2017. "Mobilizing private finance for low-carbon innovation – A systematic review of barriers and solutions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 525-535.
    11. Chorus, Caspar & van Cranenburgh, Sander & Daniel, Aemiro Melkamu & Sandorf, Erlend Dancke & Sobhani, Anae & Szép, Teodóra, 2021. "Obfuscation maximization-based decision-making: Theory, methodology and first empirical evidence," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 28-44.
    12. Briguglio, Marie & Formosa, Glenn, 2017. "When households go solar: Determinants of uptake of a Photovoltaic Scheme and policy insights," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 154-162.
    13. Lynne, Gary D. & Franklin Casey, C. & Hodges, Alan & Rahmani, Mohammed, 1995. "Conservation technology adoption decisions and the theory of planned behavior," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 581-598, December.
    14. Jenner, Steffen & Groba, Felix & Indvik, Joe, 2013. "Assessing the strength and effectiveness of renewable electricity feed-in tariffs in European Union countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 385-401.
    15. Palm, Alvar & Lantz, Björn, 2020. "Information dissemination and residential solar PV adoption rates: The effect of an information campaign in Sweden," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    16. Heena Thanki & Sweety Shah & Harishchandra Singh Rathod & Ankit D. Oza & Dumitru Doru Burduhos-Nergis, 2022. "I Am Ready to Invest in Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) Options Only If the Returns Are Not Compromised: Individual Investors’ Intentions toward SRI," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    17. Zheng, Xiaotian & Zhou, Youcheng & Iqbal, Sajid, 2022. "Working capital management of SMEs in COVID-19: role of managerial personality traits and overconfidence behavior," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 439-451.
    18. Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Ibrahim A. Elshaer, 2023. "Risk-Taking, Financial Knowledge, and Risky Investment Intention: Expanding Theory of Planned Behavior Using a Moderating-Mediating Model," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    19. Shahriyar Nasirov & Carlos Silva & Claudio A. Agostini, 2015. "Investors’ Perspectives on Barriers to the Deployment of Renewable Energy Sources in Chile," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-21, April.
    20. Zhang, Xinhua & Yang, Hongming & Yu, Qian & Qiu, Jing & Zhang, Yongxi, 2018. "Analysis of carbon-abatement investment for thermal power market in carbon-dispatching mode and policy recommendations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 954-966.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:75:y:2015:i:c:p:407-415. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.