IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v13y2020i15p3855-d390867.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rural Public Acceptance of Wind and Solar Energy: A Case Study from Mersing, Malaysia

Author

Listed:
  • Muhammad Aslam Mohd Safari

    (Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Nurulkamal Masseran

    (Department of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Alias Jedi

    (Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Sohif Mat

    (Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
    Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Kamaruzzaman Sopian

    (Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
    Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Azman Bin Abdul Rahim

    (Marine Ecosystem Research Centre (EKOMAR), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Azami Zaharim

    (Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
    Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia)

Abstract

The sustainable development of the energy sector through the implementation of renewable energy (RE) technology has been a primary concern for the government of Malaysia since the 1990s. Developing RE technology in rural areas is also one of the most important energy strategies. One of the most important requirements for the successful adoption of renewable energy technology is the public acceptance of this technology. This article examines the public acceptance of RE (wind and solar) technologies among rural residents in Mersing, Malaysia. This study is conducted in conjunction with the development of the hybrid wind–solar RE generation system for the Marine Ecosystem Research Centre (EKOMAR), which located in Mersing. To investigate the public acceptance of RE technologies, two surveys were conducted, before and after the installation of the hybrid wind–solar RE generation system. The findings revealed that RE innovations, such as wind and solar energy, were well known among 54.7% and 96.2% of the respondents, respectively, before and after the introduction of EKOMAR. The survey results showed that rural residents generally support RE technologies and EKOMAR RE projects. They were also in line that the use of RE should also be extended to other parts of Mersing, including wind and solar. These findings illustrate that EKOMAR has played a crucial role in educating local residents about RE, wind and solar energy in particular. Residents believe the government plays an important role, particularly in rural areas, in encouraging and enhancing RE technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammad Aslam Mohd Safari & Nurulkamal Masseran & Alias Jedi & Sohif Mat & Kamaruzzaman Sopian & Azman Bin Abdul Rahim & Azami Zaharim, 2020. "Rural Public Acceptance of Wind and Solar Energy: A Case Study from Mersing, Malaysia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-24, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:15:p:3855-:d:390867
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/15/3855/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/15/3855/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chua, Shing Chyi & Oh, Tick Hui, 2010. "Review on Malaysia's national energy developments: Key policies, agencies, programmes and international involvements," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(9), pages 2916-2925, December.
    2. Broekel, Tom & Alfken, Christoph, 2015. "Gone with the wind? The impact of wind turbines on tourism demand," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 506-519.
    3. Kardooni, Roozbeh & Yusoff, Sumiani Binti & Kari, Fatimah Binti, 2016. "Renewable energy technology acceptance in Peninsular Malaysia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 1-10.
    4. Petinrin, J.O. & Shaaban, Mohamed, 2015. "Renewable energy for continuous energy sustainability in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 967-981.
    5. Rahman Mohamed, Abdul & Lee, Keat Teong, 2006. "Energy for sustainable development in Malaysia: Energy policy and alternative energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(15), pages 2388-2397, October.
    6. Omer, Abdeen Mustafa, 2008. "Energy, environment and sustainable development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(9), pages 2265-2300, December.
    7. Michalena, Evanthie & Tripanagnostopoulos, Yiannis, 2010. "Contribution of the solar energy in the sustainable tourism development of the Mediterranean islands," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 667-673.
    8. Strazzera, Elisabetta & Mura, Marina & Contu, Davide, 2012. "Combining choice experiments with psychometric scales to assess the social acceptability of wind energy projects: A latent class approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 334-347.
    9. Jennings, Philip, 2009. "New directions in renewable energy education," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 435-439.
    10. Kardooni, Roozbeh & Yusoff, Sumiani Binti & Kari, Fatimah Binti & Moeenizadeh, Leila, 2018. "Public opinion on renewable energy technologies and climate change in Peninsular Malaysia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(PA), pages 659-668.
    11. Aklin, Michaël & Cheng, Chao-Yo & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2018. "Social acceptance of new energy technology in developing countries: A framing experiment in rural India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 466-477.
    12. Borchers, Allison M. & Duke, Joshua M. & Parsons, George R., 2007. "Does willingness to pay for green energy differ by source?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 3327-3334, June.
    13. Oh, Tick Hui & Pang, Shen Yee & Chua, Shing Chyi, 2010. "Energy policy and alternative energy in Malaysia: Issues and challenges for sustainable growth," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 1241-1252, May.
    14. Chong, Heap-Yih & Lam, Wei-Haur, 2013. "Ocean renewable energy in Malaysia: The potential of the Straits of Malacca," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 169-178.
    15. Hanley, Nick & Nevin, Ceara, 1999. "Appraising renewable energy developments in remote communities: the case of the North Assynt Estate, Scotland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(9), pages 527-547, September.
    16. Zoellner, Jan & Schweizer-Ries, Petra & Wemheuer, Christin, 2008. "Public acceptance of renewable energies: Results from case studies in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 4136-4141, November.
    17. Kandpal, Tara C. & Broman, Lars, 2014. "Renewable energy education: A global status review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 300-324.
    18. Teisl, Mario F. & Noblet, Caroline L. & Corey, Richard R. & Giudice, Nicholas A., 2018. "Seeing clearly in a virtual reality: Tourist reactions to an offshore wind project," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 601-611.
    19. Höök, Mikael & Tang, Xu, 2013. "Depletion of fossil fuels and anthropogenic climate change—A review," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 797-809.
    20. del Río, Pablo & Burguillo, Mercedes, 2008. "Assessing the impact of renewable energy deployment on local sustainability: Towards a theoretical framework," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 1325-1344, June.
    21. Jobert, Arthur & Laborgne, Pia & Mimler, Solveig, 2007. "Local acceptance of wind energy: Factors of success identified in French and German case studies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 2751-2760, May.
    22. Molnarova, Kristina & Sklenicka, Petr & Stiborek, Jiri & Svobodova, Kamila & Salek, Miroslav & Brabec, Elizabeth, 2012. "Visual preferences for wind turbines: Location, numbers and respondent characteristics," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 269-278.
    23. Lim, Xin-Le & Lam, Wei-Haur, 2014. "Public Acceptance of Marine Renewable Energy in Malaysia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 16-26.
    24. Bujang, A.S. & Bern, C.J. & Brumm, T.J., 2016. "Summary of energy demand and renewable energy policies in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1459-1467.
    25. Eltham, Douglas C. & Harrison, Gareth P. & Allen, Simon J., 2008. "Change in public attitudes towards a Cornish wind farm: Implications for planning," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 23-33, January.
    26. Wustenhagen, Rolf & Wolsink, Maarten & Burer, Mary Jean, 2007. "Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 2683-2691, May.
    27. Acikgoz, Caglayan, 2011. "Renewable energy education in Turkey," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 608-611.
    28. Ahmad, Salsabila & Kadir, Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab & Shafie, Suhaidi, 2011. "Current perspective of the renewable energy development in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 897-904, February.
    29. Kortsch, Timo & Hildebrand, Jan & Schweizer-Ries, Petra, 2015. "Acceptance of biomass plants – Results of a longitudinal study in the bioenergy-region Altmark," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 690-697.
    30. Wolsink, Maarten, 2012. "Undesired reinforcement of harmful ‘self-evident truths’ concerning the implementation of wind power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 83-87.
    31. Panwar, N.L. & Kaushik, S.C. & Kothari, Surendra, 2011. "Role of renewable energy sources in environmental protection: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 1513-1524, April.
    32. Jennings, Philip & Lund, Chris, 2001. "Renewable energy education for sustainable development," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 113-118.
    33. Soland, Martin & Steimer, Nora & Walter, Götz, 2013. "Local acceptance of existing biogas plants in Switzerland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 802-810.
    34. Rinaldo Brau, 2008. "Demand-Driven Sustainable Tourism? A Choice Modelling Analysis," Tourism Economics, , vol. 14(4), pages 691-708, December.
    35. Fadaeenejad, M. & Radzi, M.A.M. & AbKadir, M.Z.A. & Hizam, H., 2014. "Assessment of hybrid renewable power sources for rural electrification in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 299-305.
    36. Borhanazad, H. & Mekhilef, S. & Saidur, R. & Boroumandjazi, G., 2013. "Potential application of renewable energy for rural electrification in Malaysia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 210-219.
    37. Hashim, Haslenda & Ho, Wai Shin, 2011. "Renewable energy policies and initiatives for a sustainable energy future in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 4780-4787.
    38. Sopian, K. & Othman, M.Y.Hj. & Wirsat, A., 1995. "The wind energy potential of Malaysia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 6(8), pages 1005-1016.
    39. Ang, James B., 2008. "Economic development, pollutant emissions and energy consumption in Malaysia," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 271-278.
    40. del Río, Pablo & Burguillo, Mercedes, 2009. "An empirical analysis of the impact of renewable energy deployment on local sustainability," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(6-7), pages 1314-1325, August.
    41. Amin, Nowshad & Lung, Chin Wen & Sopian, Kamaruzzaman, 2009. "A practical field study of various solar cells on their performance in Malaysia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1939-1946.
    42. Liu, Wenling & Wang, Can & Mol, Arthur P.J., 2013. "Rural public acceptance of renewable energy deployment: The case of Shandong in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 1187-1196.
    43. Rahel Renata Tanujaya & Chul-Yong Lee & JongRoul Woo & Sung-Yoon Huh & Min-Kyu Lee, 2020. "Quantifying Public Preferences for Community-Based Renewable Energy Projects in South Korea," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, May.
    44. Weigt, Hannes, 2009. "Germany's wind energy: The potential for fossil capacity replacement and cost saving," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(10), pages 1857-1863, October.
    45. Mekhilef, Saad & Barimani, Meghdad & Safari, Azadeh & Salam, Zainal, 2014. "Malaysia’s renewable energy policies and programs with green aspects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 497-504.
    46. Sütterlin, Bernadette & Siegrist, Michael, 2017. "Public acceptance of renewable energy technologies from an abstract versus concrete perspective and the positive imagery of solar power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 356-366.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Na Li & Rudi Hakvoort & Zofia Lukszo, 2021. "Cost Allocation in Integrated Community Energy Systems—Social Acceptance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-24, September.
    2. Muhammad Aqil Afham Rahmat & Ag Sufiyan Abd Hamid & Yuanshen Lu & Muhammad Amir Aziat Ishak & Shaikh Zishan Suheel & Ahmad Fazlizan & Adnan Ibrahim, 2022. "An Analysis of Renewable Energy Technology Integration Investments in Malaysia Using HOMER Pro," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-24, October.
    3. Jakub Jasiński & Mariusz Kozakiewicz & Maciej Sołtysik, 2021. "Determinants of Energy Cooperatives’ Development in Rural Areas—Evidence from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-19, January.

    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. Zerrahn, Alexander, 2017. "Wind Power and Externalities," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 245-260.
    2. Koerner, Sonja Angelika & Siew, Wei Sian & Salema, Arshad Adam & Balan, Poovarasi & Mekhilef, Saad & Thavamoney, Nisha, 2022. "Energy policies shaping the solar photovoltaics business models in Malaysia with some insights on Covid-19 pandemic effect," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Hannan, M.A. & Begum, R.A. & Abdolrasol, M.G. & Hossain Lipu, M.S. & Mohamed, A. & Rashid, M.M., 2018. "Review of baseline studies on energy policies and indicators in Malaysia for future sustainable energy development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 551-564.
    4. Langer, Katharina & Decker, Thomas & Roosen, Jutta & Menrad, Klaus, 2016. "A qualitative analysis to understand the acceptance of wind energy in Bavaria," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 248-259.
    5. Baharoon, Dhyia Aidroos & Rahman, Hasimah Abdul & Fadhl, Saeed Obaid, 2016. "Publics׳ knowledge, attitudes and behavioral toward the use of solar energy in Yemen power sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 498-515.
    6. Zerrahn, Alexander & Krekel, Christian, 2015. "Sowing the Wind and Reaping the Whirlwind? The Effect of Wind Turbines on Residential Well-Being," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112956, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Kontogianni, A. & Tourkolias, Ch. & Skourtos, M. & Damigos, D., 2014. "Planning globally, protesting locally: Patterns in community perceptions towards the installation of wind farms," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 170-177.
    8. Islam, Md Tasbirul & Huda, Nazmul & Saidur, R., 2019. "Current energy mix and techno-economic analysis of concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies in Malaysia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 789-806.
    9. Schumacher, K. & Krones, F. & McKenna, R. & Schultmann, F., 2019. "Public acceptance of renewable energies and energy autonomy: A comparative study in the French, German and Swiss Upper Rhine region," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 315-332.
    10. Bhowmik, Chiranjib & Bhowmik, Sumit & Ray, Amitava, 2018. "Social acceptance of green energy determinants using principal component analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 1030-1046.
    11. Petinrin, J.O. & Shaaban, Mohamed, 2015. "Renewable energy for continuous energy sustainability in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 967-981.
    12. Habib Hussain Khan & Nahla Samargandi & Adeel Ahmed, 2021. "Economic development, energy consumption, and climate change: An empirical account from Malaysia," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(4), pages 397-423, November.
    13. Ephraim Bonah Agyekum & Ernest Baba Ali & Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar, 2021. "Clean Energies for Ghana—An Empirical Study on the Level of Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Development and Utilization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-14, March.
    14. Landeta-Manzano, Beñat & Arana-Landín, Germán & Calvo, Pilar M. & Heras-Saizarbitoria, Iñaki, 2018. "Wind energy and local communities: A manufacturer’s efforts to gain acceptance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 314-324.
    15. Abdeshahian, Peyman & Lim, Jeng Shiun & Ho, Wai Shin & Hashim, Haslenda & Lee, Chew Tin, 2016. "Potential of biogas production from farm animal waste in Malaysia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 714-723.
    16. Tang, Shengwen & Chen, Jingtao & Sun, Peigui & Li, Yang & Yu, Peng & Chen, E., 2019. "Current and future hydropower development in Southeast Asia countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 239-249.
    17. Gardt Manuel & Broekel Tom & Gareis Philipp & Litmeyer Marie-Louise, 2018. "Einfluss von Windenergieanlagen auf die Entwicklung des Tourismus in Hessen," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 62(1), pages 46-64, March.
    18. Fazeli, Alireza & Bakhtvar, Farzaneh & Jahanshaloo, Leila & Che Sidik, Nor Azwadi & Bayat, Ali Esfandyari, 2016. "Malaysia׳s stand on municipal solid waste conversion to energy: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1007-1016.
    19. Avri Eitan & Gillad Rosen & Lior Herman & Itay Fishhendler, 2020. "Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs: A Conceptual Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-23, May.
    20. Ana María González & Harrison Sandoval & Pilar Acosta & Felipe Henao, 2016. "On the Acceptance and Sustainability of Renewable Energy Projects—A Systems Thinking Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-21, November.

    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:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:15:p:3855-:d:390867. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.