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What Drives Senegalese SMEs to Adopt Renewable Energy Technologies? Applying an Extended UTAUT2 Model to a Developing Economy

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  • Dorothee Apfel

    (Institute for International Research on Sustainable Management and Renewable Energy (ISR), Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nürtingen, Germany
    Department of Economic Geography, Institute of Geography, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 19-23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany)

  • Carsten Herbes

    (Institute for International Research on Sustainable Management and Renewable Energy (ISR), Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nürtingen, Germany)

Abstract

Renewable energy technology (RET) can help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies to both meet the need for a stable energy supply and contribute to the fight against climate change. In Senegal, SMEs have the opportunity through RET to become electricity prosumers. Whether it works as such in Senegalese SMEs is one of the questions we were able to address through qualitative interviews with 23 SMEs and 13 experts. Using qualitative content analysis, we examined what factors promote the adoption of RET by these SMEs. We also examined how well the established Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model (UTAUT2) can serve as a guiding framework for this type of investigation. We find that effort expectancy is generally underestimated. Performance expectancy, when high, may influence the adoption process positively, while social influence does not seem to play a role. Both SMEs and experts point to customer service and government support for SMEs adopting RET as important facilitating conditions. The cost of RET is another factor influencing the adoption of these technologies. However, we regard the UTAUT2 as only partially helpful for the Senegalese context, due to the informal sector economy in Senegal. This leads us to add the factors knowledge, communication channels and entrepreneurial orientation. Moreover, we question the unequivocally positive notion of prosumerism for African contexts, as the idea draws its motivating power from a Western mindset.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorothee Apfel & Carsten Herbes, 2021. "What Drives Senegalese SMEs to Adopt Renewable Energy Technologies? Applying an Extended UTAUT2 Model to a Developing Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:9332-:d:617760
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