Habitability and acceptance of renewable energy in housing in northwestern Mexico: Preliminary results of an exploratory instrument

Acceptance of renewable energy in the home depends on how people value their dwelling, what they know about the available options and the benefits they expect. This quantitative, cross-sectional and exploratory study described responses to a five-item instrument, with one item per dimension: dwelling conditions for daily activities, declared knowledge of renewable options, cost-conditioned acceptance, expected comfort improvement and expected energy savings. The preliminary cut of the survey of project FZ-EX-0003 of the Factoriza UAS platform was analyzed, with 28 people living in a dwelling in northwestern Mexico, out of a target of 100. Descriptive statistics and an exploratory factor analysis with parallel analysis were computed; internal consistency could not be estimated because each dimension has a single item. Means ranged from 3.89 to 4.43; expected savings and cost-conditioned acceptance were highest, and dwelling conditions were lowest and most dispersed. Sampling adequacy was .564, and the two-factor solution showed a Heywood case, so it is not interpreted. The results describe a favorable disposition centered on economic benefits and guide the expansion of the instrument, particularly its habitability dimension.