Residential Solar Energy Adoption in a Community Context: Perceptions and Characteristics of Potential Adopters in a West Toronto Neighbourhood

community solar energy;diffusion of innovations;toronto;integrated;social;technical;sustainable energy;renewable energy;community-based social marketing;CBSM;diffusion of innovations theory;DOI;integrated research;integrated management;participatory research;mixed methods;quantitative;qualitative;residential solar energy;photovoltaic;photovoltaics;solar hot water;domestic solar hot water systems;residential solar PV;community energy;community power;ecological reform;case study;Ontario;Greater Toronto Area;feed-in tariff;renewable energy standard offer program;RESOP;electrical utility data;Our Power;Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative;electricity system;distributed energy;distributed renewable energy;Geography

Sherk, Theodore

University of Waterloo

关键词: community solar energy;    diffusion of innovations;    toronto;    integrated;    social;    technical;    sustainable energy;    renewable energy;    community-based social marketing;    CBSM;    diffusion of innovations theory;    DOI;    integrated research;    integrated management;    participatory research;    mixed methods;    quantitative;    qualitative;    residential solar energy;    photovoltaic;    photovoltaics;    solar hot water;    domestic solar hot water systems;    residential solar PV;    community energy;    community power;    ecological reform;    case study;    Ontario;    Greater Toronto Area;    feed-in tariff;    renewable energy standard offer program;    RESOP;    electrical utility data;    Our Power;    Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative;    electricity system;    distributed energy;    distributed renewable energy;    Geography;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/6528/1/Sherk_Theodore.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

In the summer of 2007, a single neighbourhood in downtown Toronto contributed atleast 13 percent of all residential grid‐tie solar photovoltaic (PV) systems sold in theCanadian province of Ontario. On average, PV purchaser households produced 37percent as much electricity as they consumed.This research investigates solar energy adoption in a community case study. Specifically,it investigates why some residents who sign up for a solar resource assessment througha community solar energy initiative (CSEI) decide to purchase, and others decide not topurchase in the short‐term. Characteristics and perceptions of potential adopters areanalyzed to better understand their motivations and barriers to adoption.Community energy projects became an official public policy goal in Ontario, with thepassing of the Green Energy and Green Economy Act in 2009. Approximately 80 percentof Ontario’s anticipated generation capacity will need to be built, replaced orrefurbished within 15 years. In this context, the Ontario Ministry of Energy, OntarioPower Authority, and Deloitte (one of Canada’s leading professional services firms),have partnered with a ;;green benefit’ fund, the Community Power Fund, to help localcommunity groups access resources to develop and establish renewable energyprojects. Understanding solar energy adoption in a community context is thereforeimportant to improve the effectiveness of such policies, including the disbursement ofmulti‐million dollar grant funds.Differences between purchasers and non‐purchasers in respect of adoption behaviourwere found in this study to cluster around two general themes. The first themeconcerns differences in compatibility of both the concept of solar energy systems, andtheir physical attributes, with characteristics of potential adopter households. Somecompatibility issues are straightforward, e.g. availability of roof space with a southernorientation. Others are more complex, involving several interrelated perceptual andsocio‐demographic factors. For instance, while both purchasers and non‐purchasersrated cost as a very important barrier, purchasers rated the motivation of solar energysystems to reduce climate change higher relative to the barrier of high financial coststhan did non‐purchasers. Purchasers were also more likely to possess a graduatedegree, while non‐purchasers were more likely to hold a professional degree.The second general theme relates to potential adopters’ trust and stake in the ability ofthe community‐based initiative to reduce barriers in the adoption process. Since twotypes of solar energy systems are considered in the case study—PV and thermal (hotwater)—differences are explored between each of three respondent groups: solar PVpurchasers, solar hot water (SHW) purchasers, and non‐purchasers.ivSurveys were used to gather data on adopter perceptions and characteristics. Aparticipatory research design helped identify the research topic. Two main bodies ofliterature—community‐based social marketing (CBSM) and diffusion of innovationstheory—were drawn upon to conceptualize the adoption process and interpret thesurvey findings. These include five models of human behaviour that can be used toguide the design of CBSM campaigns. Diffusion theory was used as a basis for discussing;;perceived innovation attributes’. The study takes an integrated approach byconsidering both social and technical aspects of solar energy adoption, together withthe issues of fuel substitution and household electricity demand.