Predicting acceptance and adoption of renewable energy community solutions: the prosumer psychology

Abstract

Background: This paper, in the frame of social acceptance of renewable energies and innovative community-based production and consumption models, aims at supporting a data-driven approach able to deal with climate change and identify and quantify the psycho-sociological dimensions and factors that could support the transition from a technology-driven approach to a consumer-driven approach throughout the emerging “prosumer business models”. In addition to the already existing Social Acceptance dimensions, this paper tries to identify a purely individual psychological fourth dimension to understand the processes and factors that underlie individual acceptance and adoption of new renewable energy business models, with the realization of a Prosumer Acceptance Index. Methods: Questionnaire data collection has been performed throughout an online survey platform, combining standardized and ad-hoc questions adapted for the research purposes, based on the developed theoretical model. To identify the main factors (individual/social) influencing the relation with renewable energy technology adoption, a Factorial Analysis has been conducted to identify the latent variables that are related to each other. Linear regression has been conducted to identify and quantify the factors that could better predict behavioural intention to become a prosumer. Results: Five latent psychological factors were revealed: concern about environmental issues, interest in energy sharing, concern on climate change, social influence and impact on bill cost. Three variables were found to significantly measure and predict the scores of the “Acceptance in becoming a prosumer” ad hoc scale: attitude, economic incentive and age. Conclusions: This research can facilitate policymakers and stakeholders to better understand which relevant psycho-sociological factors are intervening in the renewable energy technology acceptance processes and what and how specifically target when proposing change towards sustainable energy production and consumption.