Article

Willingness to participate in community-based renewable energy projects: A contingent valuation study in South Korea

September 2019
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 112(1):643-652

DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2019.06.010

Authors:

JongRoul Woo

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chul-Yong Lee

Pusan National University

Sung-Yoon Huh

Seoul National University

Several countries have recently adopted models of community-based renewable energy projects, mainly in order to improve the local community’s acceptance of renewable energy facilities. This study analyzes the South Korea’s general public and local residents’ acceptance of community-based renewable energy projects using the contingent valuation method. Respondents’ willingness to participate in a renewable energy project are measured by the expected return on investment in the project. Analysis results indicate that the average annual rate of return expected by the general public is 3.1% for solar photovoltaic power plants, 5.4% for wind power, and 7.1% for biomass power plants. For local residents, the average annual rate of return expected by local residents is 12.3% for solar photovoltaic power plants, 9.1% for wind power, and 10.8% for biomass power plants. These results show that acceptance is markedly lower among local residents in comparison with the general public. However, simulation results prove that it is possible to provide local residents with returns beyond their expectation if the entirety of the additional incentives under the current system are given to them. Relevant policy implications and recommendations are provided based on the analysis results.

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The complicated and uncertain character of megaprojects requires appropriate analysis of affected communities to achieve project objectives and accommodate megaprojects-induced internal displacement participation mechanism. Although previous scholarly works have contributed to the development of public participation theory, these theories have not been fully acknowledged from the affected community's perspective in practices, especially in megaprojects-induced internal displacement. In this study, an extensive literature review was conducted to get a general knowledge of the relationship between the willingness to participate and other prior key determinants. While no cohesive national governance strategy for megaprojects-induced internal displacement has been developed, the lack of recognition for the issue at the governmental level contributes to internal displacement risk creation, placing vulnerable communities at little or no influence on the process. Therefore, this study proposes a conceptual model of megaprojects-induced internal displacement that can be used to diagnose and assess willingness in community participatory research and practice. The findings will help academics and decision-makers be concerned about the key participation determinants to avoid ambiguity and disparity in understanding the adoption progress and status of community participation.KeywordsCommunity participationInternal displacementResilienceMegaprojects

Value of different electric vehicle charging facility types under different availability situations: A South Korean case study of electric vehicle and internal combustion engine vehicle owners

Article

Mar 2023
ENERG POLICY

Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy: A Concept-Centric Review of Literature

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2022

Vasundhara Sen

Increasing renewable energy footprints now features prominently in the clean energy transition plan for many countries. Consumer’s Willingness To Pay (WTP) for renewable energy is an important variable in this plan. A concept-centric review of 70 research articles conducted in this study reveals that first and most commonly, consumer’s willingness to pay for renewable energy indicates the social acceptance of renewable energy, quantifying the extent of public financial support for meeting nationally set renewable energy targets. Second, it reflects the preferred attributes of renewable electricity supply in deregulated retail electricity markets. And third, it mirrors the non use values of renewable energy sources. A concept augmented matrix presented in the paper helps understand the most popular valuation techniques used to quantify WTP estimates in included studies. This paper concludes by presenting policy enablers to accelerate renewable energy transition in developing economies - where the transition is still in nascent stages.

More than innovativeness: Comparing residents’ motivations for participating renewable energy communities in different innovation segments

Article

Aug 2022
RENEW ENERG

Renewable energy communities (RECs) are energy innovations that promote the consumption of renewable energy in residential sectors and reduce fossil energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, according to the diffusion of innovation theory, residential consumers should be divided into distinct innovation diffusion groups considering participation in RECs, and differentiated guidance strategies should be adopted. By using the agglomerative clustering method, this study clustered the research objects into three innovation diffusion groups based on the innovativeness indicator: “Earlier Adopters,” “Mid-term Adopters,” and “Later Adopters.”. And then the willingness to participate in RECs for different groups was explained by a structural model, which was constructed by integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and altruistic values of value–belief–norm (VBN). By comparing the simulating results of the structural model for each group, the differences in the characteristics of the three innovation diffusion groups and the effects of factors affecting the willingness of participating RECs were revealed: comparing to other groups, “Earlier Adopters” of RECs are significantly more adventurous. Simultaneously, the three groups showed obvious differences in the perception level of community identity, altruistic values, and subjective norms. Generally, the “Later adopters” have obviously lower perception level of the above three factors, however, the impacts of these factors on the willingness of participating RECs for each group are more complex. The willingness of “Earlier Adopters” to participate in RECs is significantly more affected by attitudes toward behavior and altruism, the willingness of “Mid-term Adopters” is significantly more affected by perceived behavior control (PBC), and the willingness of “Later Adopters” is significantly more affected by subjective norms and community identity. Based on these findings, different guiding strategies that needed to be adopted for increasing the willingness of participating RECs for each group are proposed.

Can the renewable power consumption guarantee mechanism help activate China's power trading market?

Article

May 2022
ENERGY

The renewable power consumption guarantee mechanism aims to promote local consumption of renewable power through power trading in the inter-provincial market and provincial market. This study aims to investigate whether the renewable power consumption guarantee mechanism can actively affect the power trading market. The difference-in-difference method is proposed to evaluate the impact of by selecting the pilot provinces in power spot trading as the treatment group and the rest provinces as the control group. The empirical results show that the renewable power consumption guarantee mechanism has a positive net effect on the power trading market. Several important factors, such as the power demand response of industrial users and the participation of power sales companies, influence power trading activities. We discuss the possible reasons from the perspective of power generation side, power sale side and power user side. To promote the development of power market, the inter-regional trading mechanism of renewable power need to be improved. When the power market is gradually fully competitive, the establishment of a national unified green power trading market should be considered. Meanwhile, policy incentives should further encourage power sales companies to play a significant role in promoting development of power trading market and renewable energy.

Estimating Implicit Discount Rate for Energy Efficiency Investment Using the Contingent Valuation Method: A Case Study in South Korea

Article

Jan 2021

The public willingness to pay for the research and demonstration of tidal stream energy in South Korea

Article

Apr 2022
MAR POLICY

South Korea has established a plan to install 700 MW of tidal stream energy (TSE) generation by 2030, and is pursuing the research and demonstration (R&D) of TSE. A significant amount of public funds will be invested in the R&D led by government-funded research institutes and public corporations. Thus, the government is seeking information about the aggregate willingness to pay (WTP) for the R&D. The purpose of this research is to explore the WTP by employing contingent valuation (CV). To this end, a CV survey of 1000 interviewees in South Korea was carried out using a closed-ended question during May 2020. Because 56.7% of all interviewees gave a zero WTP value, a spike model allowing for many zero values was adopted. The mean WTP was found to be KRW 4290 (USD 3.49) per annum per household and held statistical significance. This aggregate WTP for the R&D amounts to KRW 87.30 billion (USD 71.03 million) per year from a national perspective. The costs incurred by the R&D, which have not yet been accurately measured, can be compared to the aggregate WTP for the R&D. If the latter is greater than the former, the R&D may be socially profitable.

New Pathways for Community Energy and Storage

Book

Full-text available

Dec 2021

Local communities are increasingly taking on active roles and emerging as new actors in energy systems. Community energy and energy storage may enable effective energy system integration and ensure maximum benefits of local generation, leading to more flexible and resilient energy supply systems and playing an important role in achieving renewable energy and climate policy objectives. In this book, we summarize the different topics covered in the international conference on new pathways for community energy and storage in the form of the 14 articles published in this Special Issue on the same topic. It addresses important developments and challenges related to local energy transitions and the role of community energy and energy storage therein.

Public preferences for introducing a power-to-heat system in South Korea

Article

Nov 2021
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

As variable renewable energy (VRE), such as solar and wind energy, is expanded, there is an emerging need to limit the power generation from VRE for the purpose of ensuring the stability of the power system. This research is particularly interested in the so-called power-to-heat (P2H) system, which converts idle power from VRE into heat and utilizes the heat as hot water or heating instead of limiting the power generation from VRE. The research aims to assess the public value by employing contingent valuation (CV) to elicit people's willingness to pay (WTP) for introducing the P2H system in South Korea. To achieve this aim, in June 2020, a CV survey of 1000 interviewees in South Korea was carried out, posing a closed-ended question. Although 53.9% of interviewees did not place any value on the introduction of P2H, the average WTP was found to be KRW 4348 (USD 3.59) per annum, which holds statistical significance. If this sample value is extended to the population, it would be KRW 88.48 billion (USD 73.12 million) per year. The costs incurred in introducing P2H, such as the cost of developing P2H technology, the cost of heat storage infrastructure, subsidies for local district heating operators, and so on, may be compared with the public value. Various implications derived from the results are also discussed.

Community Renewable Energy Systems

Chapter

Jan 2021

Conflict or Consensus? Stakeholders’ Willingness to Participate in China’s Sponge City Program

Article

Jan 2021
SCI TOTAL ENVIRON

In 2015, China initiated the Sponge City Program (SCP), an integrated urban stormwater management strategy, to mitigate the paradoxical challenges of urban flooding and water shortages. Very few studies have attempted to examine the willingness to participate of multi-level stakeholders in the case of storm-water management initiatives. To address this gap in the existing body of knowledge, this study took Guyuan city, Ningxia Province, a Stage 2 pilot city located in the arid northwest region of the People’s Republic of China, as a case study. Members of three key stakeholder groups were surveyed, i.e., government, commercial entities and communities, and a total of 687 valid questionnaires were obtained in the SCP. Via a logistic regression model, the results showed that: (1) the stakeholders reached a consensus during the participation process that they were motivated by personal benefits and expected to improve water usage through the participatory process; (2) the government represented the public interest by prioritizing the overall improvement of the urban water environment and improving standards of living by contributing to the program; (3) the commercial entities prioritized the acquisition of knowledge and technical issues relevant to their business operations, and expressed concerns about how these operations might be affected by stakeholder participation; (4) both the commercial and community groups were more willing to participate if they perceived that the SCP would affect their daily lives, and the general public were willing to participate for multiple reasons. This study will help to guide future studies to continuously explore the diverse factors that influence the stakeholder participation of diverse stakeholders. The findings can also benefit the design of future projects with a view to enhancing stakeholder participation. Recognizing the quantifiable benefits of the SCP, this paper demonstrates how the evaluation of diverse stakeholders’ priorities and the assessment of the drivers for their willingness to participate can further benefit the implementation of sustainable urban water initiatives, as in the case of this megaproject, and their enduring success.

Is renewable energy acceptable with power grid expansion? A quantitative study of South Korea's renewable energy acceptance

Article

Nov 2020
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

Successful implementation of energy transition requires public acceptance and consensus. While the expansion of renewable energy is largely perceived to be a positive development, power grid expansion often meets public opposition. Since large-scale renewable energy requires power grid expansion, this study attempts to reveal South Korea's public acceptance of renewable energy, focusing on the power grid expansion due to renewables, which was overlooked by previous studies. This study used a conjoint survey and mixed logit of the willingness-to-pay (WTP) space to quantify both the public WTP for the targeted share of renewable energy (20% by 2030) and the public willingness-to-accept (WTA) for additional overhead power transmission lines (PTLs). The public net benefit of energy transition was then simulated, including the estimated public WTP/WTA and the projected household electricity rate increase based on the national energy plan. The results show that the net benefit of energy transition is only 40% of the WTP for energy transition, as additional overhead PTLs for renewable generation facilities reduce 60% of the WTP. If the projected electricity rate increase is also accounted for, the public net benefit will turn negative in 2024, before the targeted energy transition is achieved. Furthermore, although the public prefers underground PTLs, the WTP for this was estimated to be as low as 3–4% of the total planned PTLs. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the integration of renewable energy by considering alternative cost-effective measures in terms of minimizing overhead PTLs to successfully increase renewable energy sources.

Community Renewable Energy Systems

Chapter

Jan 2020

Understanding community benefit payments from renewable energy development

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2017
ENERG POLICY

It is increasingly common for renewable energy projects to make financial, or in kind, payments to local communities. These arrangements are variously described as ‘benefits payments’ or ‘compensation schemes’. Similar approaches are now being recommended for other forms of development with potential to engender opposition from local communities (e.g. nuclear power and fracking). While such payments are common, the level of payment, the institutional frameworks involved, and the nature of discourse, varies greatly. Existing literature has sought to record, rather than explain, the diversity of arrangements. To a large extent this diversity is rooted in the power dynamic between developer and community. Three UK case studies are used to highlight the diversity of arrangements, meanings, and power balances, within benefits arrangements. Finally, a typology is developed to illustrate the spectrum of potential arrangements. This typology gives insight into why various arrangements emerge in response to their specific contexts.

Explaining the Diversity of Motivations behind Community Renewable Energy

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2016
ENERG POLICY

Thomas Bauwens

Community-based renewable energy initiatives may be important actors in the transition toward low-carbon energy systems. In turn, stimulating investments in renewable energy production at the community level requires a better understanding of investors’ motives. This paper aims to study the heterogeneity of motivations that drive individuals to participate in community renewable energy projects and the underlying explanatory factors behind this, as well as the implications for their level of engagement in initiatives. Based on quantitative data from an original survey conducted with two renewable energy cooperatives in Flanders, the statistical analysis shows that cooperative members should not be considered as one homogeneous group. Several categories of members with different motives and levels of engagement can be distinguished. This heterogeneity is explained by contrasts in terms of institutional settings, spatial patterns and attitudes to the diffusion of institutional innovations. Regarding policy implications, the findings suggest that this heterogeneity should be taken into account in designing more effective supporting policies to stimulate investments at the community level. The activation of social norms is also shown to be a promising mechanism for triggering investment decisions, although the implications of its interplay with economic incentives should be further explored.

Assessing the Determinants of Renewable Electricity Acceptance Integrating Meta-Analysis Regression and a Local Comprehensive Survey

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2015

Academic Editor: Arnulf Jäger-Waldau In dealing with renewable electricity (RE), individuals are involved both as end-consumers on the demand side and as stakeholders (citizens) in the local production process on the supply side. Empirical evidence shows that in many countries, consumers are willing to pay a significant amount to facilitate adoption of RE. By contrast, environmental externalities are often the cause of strong opposition to RE adoption if local communities are involved as stakeholders in wind, solar or biomass investment projects. Looking at the literature on willingness to pay and on willingness to accept, we have investigated RE acceptance mechanisms. First, we have used the meta-analysis to assess the major determinants of RE acceptance on both demand and supply sides. Meta-analysis has provided some insights useful for managing field research on an onshore wind farm enlargement project located in the Umbria region. Meta-analysis and survey results confirm that the local community plays a central role in local RE acceptance. Furthermore, people who have previous experience with windmills require less compensation, or are willing to pay more, for RE development. Results suggest that these attributes should be included in future research to improve understanding of determinants of RE acceptance.

Promoting Community Renewable Energy in a Corporate Energy World

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2015
SUSTAIN DEV

Small-scale, decentralized and community-owned renewable energy is widely acknowledged to be a desirable feature of low carbon futures, but faces a range of challenges in the context of conventional, centralized energy systems. This paper draws on transition frameworks to investigate why the UK has been an inhospitable context for community-owned renewables and assesses whether anything fundamental is changing in this regard. We give particular attention to whether political devolution, the creation of elected governments for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has affected the trajectory of community renewables. Our analysis notes that devolution has increased political attention to community renewables, including new policy targets and support schemes. However, these initiatives are arguably less important than the persistence of key features of socio-technical regimes: market support systems for renewable energy and land-use planning arrangements that systemically favour major projects and large corporations, and keep community renewables to the margins. There is scope for rolling out hybrid pathways to community renewables, via joint ownership or through community benefit funds, but this still positions community energy as an adjunct to energy pathways dominated by large, corporate generation facilities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Re-focusing research efforts on the public acceptance of energy infrastructure: A critical review

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2014

One of the key issues in adopting a sustainable and renewable energy system is gaining social acceptance for technological change. Many technological changes can adversely affect residents and lead to opposition. Extensive development of electricity infrastructure has been met with especially strong resistance from local stakeholders. An abundance of research has been conducted to study the process and driving factors of social acceptance in the context of these infrastructural developments. This paper develops a conceptual definition of social acceptance that is both explicit and allows for quantitative assessment. This definition will aid future literature by clearly defining the goal of social acceptance research from the outset. As examples of the problems faced in electricity system change, factors of discontent surrounding the social acceptance of wind farms, transmission lines, and pump hydro-storage facilities are identified and synthesized. Policy relevant conclusions from previous research are summarized for these three infrastructure types. It is concluded that while research has done well in understanding the causes of opposition, more work is needed to grasp the efficacy and implementation of acceptance improving strategies. Future research should be focused on devising procedures to facilitate quick and efficient negotiations between infrastructure developers and local groups.

The role of renewable energy in climate stabilization: Results from the EMF27 scenarios

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2013

This paper uses the EMF27 scenarios to explore the role of renewable energy (RE) in climate change mitigation. Currently RE supplies almost 20 % of global electricity demand. Almost all EMF27 mitigation scenarios show a strong increase in renewable power production, with a substantial ramp-up of wind and solar power deployment. In many scenarios, renewables are the most important long-term mitigation option for power supply. Wind energy is competitive even without climate policy, whereas the prospects of solar photovoltaics (PV) are highly contingent on the ambitiousness of climate policy. Bioenergy is an important and versatile energy carrier; however—with the exception of low temperature heat—there is less scope for renewables other than biomass for non-electric energy supply. Despite the important role of wind and solar power in climate change mitigation scenarios with full technology availability, limiting their deployment has a relatively small effect on mitigation costs, if nuclear and carbon capture and storage (CCS)—which can serve as substitutes in low-carbon power supply—are available. Limited bioenergy availability in combination with limited wind and solar power by contrast, results in a more substantial increase in mitigation costs. While a number of robust insights emerge, the results on renewable energy deployment levels vary considerably across the models. An in-depth analysis of a subset of EMF27 reveals substantial differences in modeling approaches and parameter assumptions. To a certain degree, differences in model results can be attributed to different assumptions about technology costs, resource potentials and systems integration.

The research agenda on social acceptance of distributed generation in smart grids: Renewable as common pool resources

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2012
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

Maarten Wolsink

The rapid developing literature on ‘smart grids’ suggests that these will facilitate ‘distributed generation’ (DG) preferably from renewable sources. However, the current development of smart (micro)grids with substantial amount of DG (“DisGenMiGrids”) suffers from a focus on mere ‘technology’. Ongoing problems with deployment of renewable energy have shown that implementation is largely determined by broad social acceptance issues. This smart grid development is very important for further renewables deployment, but again there is a tendency to continue the neglect of social determinants.

Statistical Efficiency of Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice Contingent Valuation

Article

Full-text available

Nov 1991

The statistical efficiency of conventional dichotomous choice contingent valuation surveys can be improved by asking each respondent a second dichotomous choice question which depends on the response to the first question-if the first response is "yes," the second bid is some amount greater than the first bid; while, if the first response is "no," the second bid is some amount smaller. This "double-bounded" approach is shown to be asymptotically more efficient than the conventional, "single-bounded" approach. Using data from a survey of Californians regarding their willingness to pay for wetlands in the San Joaquin Valley, we show that, in a finite sample, the gain in efficiency can be very substantial.

Report of the NOAA panel on Contingent Valuation

Book

Full-text available

Jan 1993

How to conduct a proper contingent valuation study. Reccomendations

Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Innovation: An Introduction to the Concept

Article

Full-text available

May 2007
ENERG POLICY

This paper introduces the special issue on Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Innovation. It is a collection of best papers presented at an international research conference held in Tramelan (Switzerland) in February 2006. While there are ambitious government targets to increase the share of renewable energy in many countries, it is increasingly recognized that social acceptance may be a constraining factor in achieving this target. This is particularly apparent in the case of wind energy, which has become a subject of contested debates in several countries largely due to its visual impact on landscapes. This paper introduces three dimensions of social acceptance, namely socio-political, community and market acceptance. Factors influencing socio-political and community acceptance are increasingly recognized as being important for understanding the apparent contradictions between general public support for renewable energy innovation and the difficult realization of specific projects. The third dimen

Economic and social benefits of meteorology and climatology in Switzerland

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2009
METEOROL APPL

Thomas Frei

National Meteorological Services provide meteorological data, information, forecasts and various related products, which are important for the smooth functioning of many aspects in economy, administration and society. The merit of meteorological services cannot be deduced directly from the consumption of services. Rather, it emerges from the improvement of decisions by economic stakeholders thanks to weather and climate information. These services are purchased by users in order to be able to offer optimally or demand a certain service or, with respect to security, these services aim at helping to prevent damage from extreme events. A rough estimate for a number of selected sectors shows that benefits from weather services in Switzerland are in the region of hundreds of millions Swiss Francs (1 Swiss Franc ∼ €0.66, US$0.83 as at 2008). This pilot study shows that it is not possible to estimate one single figure representing the overall benefit from weather services in a country. Concerning the economic sector, a benefit analysis should therefore concentrate on those sub-sectors where weather services are particularly relevant, i.e. agriculture, construction, energy, insurance, telecommunication, tourism, transport, logistics and water availability. Analysis of benefits from climate data is of particular interest to MeteoSwiss since the Federal Office is the main source for climate data in Switzerland. Climate data form the basis on which climate change and possible climate threats can be detected. This study estimates for the first time the socio-economic benefits of meteorological and climatic information in Switzerland as a small developed European country and gives an outlook of how a further study might be designed. Copyright

Local acceptance of renewable energy--A case study from southeast Germany

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2011
ENERG POLICY

The European 20-20-20 goals, as well as national targets for the next decade, require a substantial increase in installed renewable capacity in Germany. While public support for such measures is high on an abstract level, the situation in the local context is often very different. Here, the impact of renewable energy might cause resistance. Empirical research shows that a community ownership model can have a positive effect on local acceptance. Our study explores whether such an effect can also be demonstrated in a community co-ownership model. The question is relevant since larger projects exceed the financial possibilities of most communities, leaving them with only co-ownership as an option. The research design is based on a comparative case study, utilizing a questionnaire-based survey. The results of the survey clearly show that a significant difference in local acceptance exists between the two cases. The residents of Zschadraß, where a community co-ownership model exists, are consistently more positive towards local renewable energy and also towards renewable energy in general. The results provide evidence that the co-ownership model is a means to reconcile local acceptance with an increased use of renewable energy in Germany.

Renewable and nuclear power: A common future?

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2008
ENERG POLICY

Aviel Verbruggen

Nuclear power and renewable energy are the main options to bring down the carbon intensity of commercial energy supply. What technology is unlimited backstop supply depends on its performance on the sustainability criteria: democratic decided, globally accessible, environmental benign, low risk, affordable.Renewable power meets all criteria, with affordability under debate. Maximizing energy efficiency as prerequisite, the affordable sustainable option in fact is the twin efficiency/renewable power. Nuclear power falls short on the sustainability criteria and its public acceptance is low. Nuclear proponents now propose nuclear and renewable energy as a suitable couple to address the climate change challenge. The two antagonists however are mutually exclusive on the five major directions of future power systems. First, nuclear power has been architect of the expansive “business-as-usual” energy economy since the 1950s. Second, add-on by fossil-fuelled power plants is bulky and expansive for nuclear power, but is distributed, flexible and contracting over time for renewable power. Third, power grids for spreading bulky nuclear outputs are other than the interconnection between millions of distributed power sources requires. Fourth, risks and externalities and the proper technology itself of nuclear power limit its development perspectives, while efficiency/renewable power are still in their infancy. Fifth, their stalemate for R&D resources and for production capacities will intensify. Nuclear power and renewable power have no common future in safeguarding “Our Common Future”.

Public perceptions of community-based renewable energy projects

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2008
ENERG POLICY

It now widely acknowledged that the UK needs to increase renewable energy capacity and it has been claimed that community-based renewable energy projects, with high levels of public participation, are more likely to be accepted by the public than top-down development of large-scale schemes and may bring additional benefits such as increased engagement with sustainable energy issues. However, little research has investigated public expectations of how people would like to participate in such projects and why. The aim of this study was to explore one rural community's response to a proposed sustainable energy project. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews provided quantitative and qualitative data. There was widespread support for local generation and use of renewable energy, with respondents expecting benefits from a project in terms of increased community spirit and conservation of natural resources. However, desire for active involvement was lower and residents viewed themselves participating as consultees, rather than project leaders. We suggest community renewable energy projects are likely to gain public acceptance but are unlikely to become widespread without greater institutional support.

Identifying the determinants of community acceptance of renewable energy technologies: The case study of a wind energy project from Tunisia

Article

Feb 2016
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

By adopting an abductive logic where we iteratively synthesize existing theory and field work, and by apprehending the Sidi Daoud wind park case from a social perspective, a comprehensive model is proposed in terms of input, process and output and hinging around the pivotal role of community acceptance construct which is believed to enrich our understanding of how local residents form their responses to the implantation of a renewable energy project and to account for differences in its outcome, i.e, in terms of success or failure. Keywords Nimby, Community acceptance, Wind energy, Benefit-sharing, Participation, Case study

Public attitudes toward the construction of new power plants in South Korea

Article

Apr 2017
Energ Environ

South Korea is facing difficulties securing sufficient generating capacity to meet its rapidly growing electricity demand because of public opposition to new power plants. Therefore, considering public attitudes toward energy supply facilities is crucial to implement a national energy plan. In this study, we empirically analyze South Korean attitudes, perceptions, and ideology factors related to building new fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy power plants. We find that fossil fuel and nuclear power generation could incur additional social costs owing to the strength of public opposition and NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome despite their cheaper generation cost than renewables. Further, while the public generally agrees to expand renewable energy nationally, it could oppose such proposals locally. Finally, an increase in the public’s knowledge about renewables and nuclear fuel could help improve attitudes toward these energy sources, whereas an increase in environmentalism may improve attitudes toward renewables only.

Solar feed-in tariffs in a post-grid parity world: The role of risk, investor diversity and business models

Article

Jul 2017
ENERG POLICY

Over the past decade, feed-in tariffs have spurred significant deployment of solar photovoltaics in Germany and other countries. With recent cost trends, several countries are approaching retail grid parity. Some policymakers conclude that now is the time to remove feed-in tariffs, as grid parity creates a self-sustaining market, where economically rational investors will invest even in the absence of government incentives. Recent experience in key European solar markets, however, shows that with the advent of grid parity and the reduction of feed-in tariffs, investment in new solar capacity has decreased rather than increased, making it questionable whether low-carbon energy policy targets will be reached. We conduct a cross-case study analysis of three PV markets – Germany, Italy and Switzerland – to investigate the role of feed-in tariffs for the near- and post-grid parity stages of diffusion, accounting for investor diversity and distinguishing between implications for revenue-based and savings-based business models. We find that recent market trends are strongly driven by increased levels of risk, especially policy risk and exposure to revenue risk. We therefore suggest that relatively frugal but stable policy environments may be conducive to further growth of investment in photovoltaics and minimize cost to society.

The role of renewable energy consumption in economic growth: Evidence from asymmetric causality

Article

Jul 2016
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

This paper investigates the causality among economic growth, renewable energy consumption, capital and labor for new EU member countries for the period of 1990–2009, by using asymmetric causality test approach and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach. The empirical results support that renewable energy consumption has positive impacts on economic growth for all investigated countries. But only for Bulgaria, Estonia, Poland, and Slovenia there is statistically significant impact on economic growth has found. And also supports neutrality hypothesis for Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia while the conservation hypothesis is present for Czech Republic. The fact that there is a causal relationship from economic growth to renewable energy consumption and the growth hypothesis is supported for Bulgaria, referring to causality from energy consumption to economic growth.

From NIMBY to acceptance: Toward a novel framework - VESPA - For organizing and interpreting community concerns

Article

Feb 2016
RENEW ENERG

Maria A. Petrova

Despite the prevailing national support for renewable energy development, the installation of wind energy turbines at the local level is often met with resistance. Opposition is commonly attributed to NIMBYism (Not-In-My-Back-Yard), which implies selfishness, ignorance, and irrationality on behalf of residents. This article examines the factors that lead to community support and opposition. Based on an in-depth literature review and surveys conducted in three Massachusetts towns, the author discards NIMBY as a valid explanation and proposes a novel framework (VESPA) for organizing community concerns into four categories-visual/landscape, environmental, socioeconomic, and procedural. By comprehensively assessing local concerns, VESPA seeks to help policy makers approach communities more effectively and thereby achieve wider acceptance of wind installations.

The economic value of South Korea׳s renewable energy policies (RPS, RFS, and RHO): A contingent valuation study

Article

Oct 2015
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

Amid growing environmental awareness, the diffusion of renewable energy has attracted greater attention from both the public and policymakers. To respond to global environmental concerns, the Korean government implemented a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in the electric power sector in 2012; it plans to introduce a renewable fuel standard (RFS) and a renewable heat obligation (RHO) in the transportation and heating sectors in 2015 and 2016, respectively. As such, this study applies the contingent valuation method to elicit the willingness of Korean households to pay more for their energy bills in order to support enforcement of these three policies. The analysis considers the economic values of each individual policy as well as the aggregate value at the national level. Respondents׳ mean willingness to pay for RPS, RFS, and RHO are estimated as 3287.5, 4432.9, and 3971.1 Korean Won per month, respectively. These are equivalent to 5.8%, 1.5%, and 2.0%, respectively, of current average monthly electricity, transportation, and heating expenses. Although all three policies appear highly feasible, a cautious approach is necessary, given the large proportion of respondents with zero willingness to pay. Furthermore, although the level of willingness to pay for renewable electricity in Korea has increased in recent years, it remains low when compared to other leading countries, such as Japan.

Wind power, regional development and benefit-sharing: The case of Northern Sweden

Article

Jul 2015
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

Role of renewable energy policies in energy dependency in Finland: System dynamics approach

Article

Jan 2014
APPL ENERG

Objective: We discuss the role of diversification on dependency and security of energy supply. A system dynamics model with especial focus on the role of renewable energy resources (as a portfolio) on Finland's energy dependency is developed. The purpose is also to cover a part of research gap exists in the system dynamics modeling of energy security investigations. Methods: A causal loops diagram and a system dynamics model evaluate Finnish scenarios of renewable energy policies. The analysis describes the relationship between dynamic factors such as RE encouragement packages, dependency, and energy demand. Results: A causal loops diagram and a system dynamics model evaluate three different Finnish scenarios of renewable energy policies by 2020. Conclusion: Analysis shows that despite 7% electricity/heat consumption growth by 2020 in Finland, dependency on imported sources will decrease between 1% and 7% depend on the defined scenarios. Practice Implications: The proposed model not only helps decision makers to test their scenarios related to renewable energy polices, it can be implemented by other countries.

Solar Grid Parity dynamics in Italy: A real option approach

Article

Dec 2014

Over the past three years Italy has seen a rapid growth in the PV (photovoltaic) energy market, followed by an equally sudden decline when the government decided to reduce the incentives. This sharp change in the trend of the market calls into question the achievement of the so called Grid Parity and the possibility that the market is able to develop independently. The motivation of this paper is to evaluate the effects that uncertainties surrounding both the energy prices and PV module costs have on forecasting the dynamics of the Italian PV market. Using the Real Option approach we calculate “the best time to invest” in a PV system by a maximizing investor. We show that these sources of uncertainty can delay the optimal investment decision of several years compared to current Grid Parity forecasts, well describing the current market situation in Italy.

'Olive branches and idiot's guides: frameworks for community engagement in Australian wind farm development.' Energy Policy 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2014.12.026

Article

Mar 2015
ENERG POLICY

Tanya Marjoram Howard

In Australia, renewable energy is under pressure in the context of a highly politicised debate about how to act on climate change. The recent repeal of an established carbon tax has seen the defunding of significant renewable energy initiatives and a controversial review of the national Renewable Energy Target is threatening key drivers for investment in renewable energy. The current regulatory focus on community 'acceptance' does not facilitate the active community support necessary to challenge this increasingly hostile policy context. This research considers current experiences of community engagement in wind farm governance in one Australian jurisdiction. Through documentary analysis and two qualitative case studies, it examines legal and non-legal requirements for community governance mechanisms and considers how these influence wind farm development in rural areas. Findings include a problematic reliance on procedural compliance in assessing wind farm consultation, domination by vested interests, and reduced expertise in community engagement at the time it is needed most. Recommendations include integration of best practice guidelines in current regulation; harmonisation of policy settings to ensure equity across energy sectors; and an evidence-based commitment to benefit sharing as a strategy for increasing community support of rural wind farm development.

Social acceptance of renewable energy sources: A review of contingent valuation applications

Article

Apr 2014
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

This paper presents a literature review addressing the public acceptance of renewable energy as a replacement for fossil fuels in electricity production. This review was motivated by the global tendency for a substitution of conventional fuels by renewable energy sources (RES) during the global financial crisis. It studies research on the preferences and attitudes of local communities towards investments in renewable energy projects and their perception of the use of new energy technologies in their daily lives, through various case studies worldwide. An effort is made to identify the parameters that influence consumers' energy behaviour, together with their interest, or lack thereof, in the environmental impact of using fossil fuels to produce energy and their willingness to reduce it. Applications of contingent valuation are examined, which are employed to analyse public attitudes towards the use of RES for electricity production. Willingness-to-pay is observed to be correlated to socioeconomic characteristics including education, interest in environmental issues and knowledge of RES. Finally, the profile of a typical green energy consumer and appropriate policy paths for the penetration of RES into the energy market are outlined.

Comparative analysis of energy security in the Nordic countries: The role of renewable energy resources in diversification

Article

Nov 2012

Security of energy supply has been one of the important debates among citizens and governments of the Nordic countries after the first energy crisis. In response, diversification was defined as the heart strategy to reach a certain level of energy supply. This article discusses about the level of energy security in the Nordic countries with comparison to other developed countries and their neighbors. Then, the support schemes and policies to achieve the energy security and diversification are reviewed based on the system thinking approach with especial focus on the renewable energy resources. This approach provides a unique and powerful tool to explain the complexity and the relationships among the elements of the support schemes in the energy security analysis.

The Role of Ownership in Determining the Rural Economic Benefits of Onshore Wind Farms

Article

Jun 2012

The development of the wind energy sector is often promoted as a means of supporting rural economies. This paper focuses on how the ownership structure of on‐shore wind power plants (external, farmer or community) affects the size and distribution of impacts within the rural part of a region. Empirical analysis is based on a regional computable general equilibrium model of North East Scotland with the results compared to those generated from a standard social accounting matrix multiplier analysis. With no local ownership, while rural GDP increases, there is almost no effect on household incomes due to the limited direct linkages of the on‐shore wind sector. Local ownership increases the household income benefits but there are still limited positive spill‐over effects on the wider economy unless factor income is re‐invested in local capital. With re‐investment, farm household ownership gives rise to the largest increase in total household income but community ownership gives rise to the largest increase in rural (non‐farm) household incomes and welfare. The results contribute to the on‐going debate about the opportunity cost of external asset ownership in rural areas.

Assessment of Korean customers’ willingness to pay with RPS

Article

Jan 2012
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

To increase the use of renewable energy, the Korean government will introduce the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2012. The RPS places responsibility for extra renewable energy costs on the consumers and allows price competition among different renewable sources. Accordingly, this study analyzes through the contingent valuation (CV) the willingness of Korean households to pay more for electricity generated by wind, photovoltaic (PV), and hydropower. Our empirical results show that, although the willingness to pay (or WTP) was highest for wind power and lowest for hydropower, the differences in WTP among the renewable sources were statistically insignificant. This suggests that Korean consumers prefer a renewable portfolio that minimizes power supply costs.The average WTP for all three energy types was KRW 1562.7 (USD 1.350) per month per household, which was approximately 3.7% of the average monthly electricity bill in 2010. This amount represents only 58.2% of what the Korean government allocated in its budget to the new and renewable energy dissemination program in 2010. Thus, our results imply that the promotion of the new and renewable energy dissemination program may be difficult only with the WTP for electricity generated from renewable sources. Specifically, the mean WTP will not support the set-aside dissemination capacity for PV after 2014.

The ‘Social Gap’ in Wind Farm Siting Decisions: Explanations and Policy Responses

Article

Aug 2005

If approximately 80% of the public in the UK support wind energy, why is only a quarter of contracted wind power capacity actually commissioned? One common answer is that this is an example of the ‘not in my backyard’ (Nimby) syndrome: yes, wind power is a good idea as long as it is not in my backyard. However, the Nimby claim that there is an attitude–behaviour gap has been rightly criticised. This article distinguishes between two kinds of gap that might be confused, namely the ‘social gap’ – between the high public support for wind energy expressed in opinion surveys and the low success rate achieved in planning applications for wind power developments – and the ‘individual gap’, which exists when an individual person has a positive attitude to wind power in general but actively opposes a particular wind power development. Three different explanations of the social gap are distinguished, only one of which depends upon the individual gap. In the second section of the article the relevance of our three explanations for policy is considered. It is argued that the different explanations suggest different policy responses and that the success of efforts to increase wind energy capacity may depend on developing a better understanding of the relative significance of the three explanations.

Community participation in household energy programmes: a case-study from India

Article

Jun 2002

Jonathan Rouse

This paper is based on findings and lessons learned from an on-going improved biomass cook-stove programme in Chibau Khera, a village near Lucknow in India. The paper is concerned with the processes of design, development, promotion, manufacture and dissemination of the stove in the village. The technical details of the stove are not described. Many aspects of the paper will be relevant to projects seeking to promote similar technologies in a number of developing world contexts. The project in Chibau Khera was characterised by extensive community participation and considerable activity in the village. The value of participatory techniques is illustrated in this paper using examples drawn from this case-study. Community involvement in the design, testing and manufacture of the stove is presented as a way of helping to ensure the effectiveness, suitability and sustainability of a stove programme. In the same way, the importance of field workers discussing issues, listening to stakeholders, observing cooking activities and being open to change is emphasised. Integrated approaches to household energy problems are also discussed. The paper concludes that gaining a detailed understanding of beneficiaries, including their needs, attitudes, resources and environment, is necessary for the design and implementation of effective and sustainable energy solutions.

Different Shades of Green: A Case Study of Support for Wind Farms in the Rural Midwest

Article

Mar 2013
ENVIRON MANAGE

Benton County, in north-central Indiana, USA has successfully sited more than 500 turbines. To understand Benton County's acceptance of wind farms, a holistic case study was conducted that included a document review, a survey of local residents and interviews with key stakeholders. Survey questionnaires were sent to 750 residents asking questions about attitudes toward the wind farms, perceived benefits and impacts from the wind farms, environmental attitudes, and demographic information. Key stakeholders were also interviewed for a deeper understanding of the historical timeline and community acceptance of the wind farm development. While there is limited opposition to the turbines, on the whole the community presents a front of acceptance. Financial, rather than environmental, benefits are the main reason for the acceptance. Although significant in other case studies, transparency and participation do not play a large role in Benton County's acceptance. Most residents are not concerned with either visual impacts or noise from the wind turbines. More concrete benefits to the community, such as reduced energy bills for county residents, could help to extend acceptance even further within the community. Although there are concerns about the acceptance of wind farms and the impacts of those farms on local residents in both peer-reviewed literature and popular media, we found little evidence of those concerns in Benton County. Instead, we found Benton County to be a community largely accepting of wind farms.

Community-based Energy Model: A Novel Approach to Developing Sustainable Energy

Article

Oct 2007
Energ Sourc

Conventional energy development and management systems are centralized and grid-connected, making the setup vulnerable and unsustainable. In this paper, a new energy development and management model is proposed. This proposed approach aims at utilizing available natural resources and considers the community as the main stakeholder to implement the model. Locally produced wastes are considered as one source for generating energy to ensure “zero-waste” living. Some sustainable energy development techniques, such as cooking stoves, biofuel cells, green biodiesel, and direct solar energy, are also proposed. To justify this model, a case study was conducted in Mineville community of Nova Scotia, Canada, to show that local people can be self-reliant in terms of supplying their energy needs. This model is also preferred as a component in improving the local economy in a sustainable manner.

Using willingness‐to‐pay to assess the economic value of weather forecasts for multiple commercial sectors

Article

Dec 2006
METEOROL APPL

This paper uses an alternative to the usual cost-avoidance approach to estimating the value of weather forecast products. Value is estimated via a demand-based approach based on the willingness to pay of those who use weather forecast services. Contingent valuation is used to estimate the benefits generated by an automated telephone-answering device that provides weather forecast information to commercial users in the Toronto area of Ontario, Canada. Commercial sectors included in the study are construction, landscaping/snow-removal businesses, TV and film, recreation and sports, agriculture, hotel and catering, and institutions such as schools and hospitals. Average value per call varied by commercial sector, from $2.17 for agricultural users to $0.60 per call for institutional users, with an overall mean of $1.20 per call. At roughly 13,750,000 commercial calls annually, this would result in an estimate of benefits generated by the service to commercial users of $16,500,000 per year. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society

Role of renewable energy sources in environmental protection: A review

Article

Apr 2011
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

Renewable technologies are considered as clean sources of energy and optimal use of these resources minimize environmental impacts, produce minimum secondary wastes and are sustainable based on current and future economic and social societal needs. Sun is the source of all energies. The primary forms of solar energy are heat and light. Sunlight and heat are transformed and absorbed by the environment in a multitude of ways. Some of these transformations result in renewable energy flows such as biomass and wind energy. Renewable energy technologies provide an excellent opportunity for mitigation of greenhouse gas emission and reducing global warming through substituting conventional energy sources. In this article a review has been done on scope of CO2 mitigation through solar cooker, water heater, dryer, biofuel, improved cookstoves and by hydrogen.

Does Community Ownership Affect Public Attitudes to Wind Energy? A Case Study from South-West Scotland

Article

Apr 2010
LAND USE POLICY

This paper presents the results of a study of public attitudes to onshore windfarm development in south-west Scotland. Specifically, it explores the influences of different development models on attitudes to windfarms by comparing public attitudes towards a community-owned windfarm on the Isle of Gigha with attitudes towards several developer-owned windfarms on the adjacent Kintyre peninsula. The study, conducted in 2006, used a questionnaire-based survey (n = 106) to test the hypothesis that community ownership would lead to greater public acceptance of windfarms. It also examined the attitudes of both residents and tourists towards the impacts of onshore windfarms on landscapes and seascapes, including cumulative impacts. The data show that the Gigha respondents were consistently more positive about wind power than were the Kintyre residents. However, the differences were differences of degree rather than diametrically opposing viewpoints. The most significant concerns about windfarms were intermittent production and visual impact, but majorities in both areas nevertheless regarded their visual impact as positive. The data also indicate that local attitudes could become even more positive if future windfarms were owned by local communities. The fact that the residents of Gigha have affectionately dubbed their turbines ‘the Three Dancing Ladies’ is indicative of the positive psychological effects of community ownership. These results support the contention that a change of development model towards community ownership could have a positive effect on public attitudes towards windfarm developments in Scotland.

Some Empirical Evidence on Embedding Effects in Contingent Valuation of Forest Protection

Article

Feb 1993
J ENVIRON ECON MANAG

We test for an embedding effect on a geographically distributed public good and the extent to which improvements in the CVM design reduce the occurrence and magnitude of embedding effects in valuation. Using both open-ended and dichotomous choice CVM for protection of forests in all of southeastern Australia and two smaller portions of that area, we find the occurrence of embedding effects in only one of the two levels. When embedding effects were present, there was a reduction in value much smaller than that found by Kahneman and Knetsch.

Initiating a sustained diffusion of wind power: The role of public–private partnerships in Spain

Article

Sep 2008
ENERG POLICY

Valentina Dinica

The literature on policy approaches for the market support of renewable electricity is dominated by narrow conceptualizations of policy, referring mostly to direct instruments for economic feasibility. Such approaches often led to unsatisfactory explanations of diffusion results. This is the case of wind power diffusion in Spain, the success of which is typically credited to the ‘feed-in-tariff’ instrument. This paper offers an alternative explanatory account for wind power diffusion in Spain. It is argued that diffusion can be explained by a less obvious policy of stimulating investments by means of public–private partnerships (PPPs). The three legal frameworks for economic feasibility applicable up to 2004 harbored high economic risks. Although projects could have high profitability because of generous investment subsidies, up to mid 1990s most investments were based on PPPs, to address the risk perceptions of early investors. Fully-private partnerships now dominate investments, though PPPs have not disappeared. Next to winning investors’ confidence, the PPP policy led to an investment culture whereby partnership investments dominate. By 2000, 95.7% of the installed wind capacity was owned by partnerships, and only 4.3% by individual companies. Partnerships invest in larger projects, have ambitious investment plans, and these lead to a high diffusion tempo.

The relative importance of social and institutional conditions in the planning of wind power projects

Article

Feb 2009
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

Governments around the world try to stimulate the development and use of renewable energy technologies, like wind energy. While wind turbines are increasingly being implemented, however, a lack of social acceptance at the local level remains an important challenge for developers of wind power plants. This article aims to explore the relative importance of social and institutional conditions and their interdependencies in the operational process of planning wind power schemes. The article not only focuses on how negative local social conditions can frustrate public policy (cf. NIMBY syndrome), but also on how positive local social conditions can compensate for a negative public policy framework. We analyzed the cases of implementing wind power of two actors (the regional energy distributor and small private investors) in the municipality of Zeewolde, the Netherlands. Both cases illustrate that the formal institutional framework (formal rules, procedures and instruments) is neutral in a certain sense. Social conditions – management styles, interests and informal contacts – put meaning in this framework. The way stakeholders deal with the prevailing institutional structure clarifies social acceptance and therewith implementation.

Wind power and community benefits: Challenges and opportunities

Article

Oct 2010
ENERG POLICY

Mhairi Aitken

A challenge relating to the development of renewable energy in the UK concerns how large companies can foster positive relationships with local communities. The concepts of ‘trust’ and ‘fairness’ are central to debates around proposed renewable energy developments, however, these concepts are complex, ambiguous and interrelated. In the UK the provision of community benefits stemming from the development of renewable energy projects remains a voluntary activity. This paper presents the findings of a case study of one wind power development and how community benefits associated with this were perceived by the local community throughout various stages of the case study (notably during planning, construction and operation). The case study highlights the challenging nature of community benefits from wind power developments. Important decisions regarding who the relevant local community is or what form community benefits should take present opportunities for disagreement between conflicting interests. It is argued that institutionalised guidance would serve a number of worthwhile purposes. Firstly, they would provide greater clarity. Secondly, they would give developers greater confidence to discuss the community benefits package in the early planning stages, and thirdly, they would reduce the likelihood of community benefits being perceived as bribes.

Households’ willingness to pay for safeguarding security of natural gas supply in electricity generation

Article

May 2009
ENERG POLICY

Security of energy supply is a major issue for all EU Member States due to Europe's increasing dependence on imported fossil-fuel sources and the continuous rise in energy demand. The latter is of particular importance in electricity sector given the continuously increasing use of gas for electricity generation. In order to properly tackle with the problem, concerted actions are required by the EU Member States in several levels, i.e. legislative, political, etc. Nevertheless, these actions will come at an additional cost paid by the society either through increased electricity bills or through public financing for energy security investments. Thus, such policies should be justified on the basis of cost-benefit analysis. Towards this direction, it may be necessary to take into account non-market costs and benefits, i.e. the value that consumers place on interruptions avoided. In order to explore households’ perceptions and willingness to pay for securing gas supply for electricity production, an empirical study was conducted by means of the contingent valuation method. The results indicate that consumers are willing to pay a premium on their electricity bills in order to internalize the external costs of electricity production, in terms of energy security, which are caused from imported fuels.

Assessment of public acceptance and willingness to pay for renewable energy sources in Crete

Article

Apr 2010
RENEW SUST ENERG REV

The aim of this study is to analyse and to evaluate the citizens’ public acceptance and willingness to pay (WTP), for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in Crete. For this purpose a contingent valuation study was conducted, using a double bound dichotomous choice format to elicit people's WTP and factors affecting it. Residents of 1440 households all over Crete were interviewed face-to-face. Major conclusions can be used as a basis for sustainable energy planning, for policies and the formulation of awareness campaigns and for RES investment programs and projects in order to prepare implementation conditions and enhance public acceptance of renewable energy investments and programmes. Mean WTP per household was found to be 16.33€ to be paid quarterly as an additional charge on the electricity bill. Larger willingness to pay was reported by those with high family income and residence size, those having a higher level of energy information and awareness concerning climatic change, those who have invested in some energy saving measures, and those who suffer from more electricity shortages than others.

Barriers to Renewable Energy Penetration: A Framework for Analysis

Article

Sep 2001
RENEW ENERG

J.P. Painuly

Renewable energy has the potential to play an important role in providing energy with sustainability to the vast populations in developing countries who as yet have no access to clean energy. Although economically viable for several applications, renewable energy has not been able to realise its potential due to several barriers to its penetration. A framework has been developed in this paper to identify the barriers to renewable energy penetration and to suggest measures to overcome them.

Understanding ‘local’ opposition to wind development in the UK: How big is a backyard?

Article

Jun 2010
ENERG POLICY

In recognition of the environmental and economic threats posed by climate change; decisive steps are now being taken to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions. One sector receiving particular attention within the UK is that of electricity generation. As such, the government has introduced ambitious targets for increasing renewable generating capacity within the country. Wind turbines are expected to play a significant role in meeting these targets; however, despite high levels of support for the technology in principle, specific projects are often delayed or rejected on account of local opposition. This study aimed to establish how attitudes towards development might vary with respect to increasing distance from the identified sites. Participants were required to register their opinion towards development at a number of on- and off-shore locations in the UK. The results indicated that participants were most favourable to offshore development and least favourable to development at the identified sites. Attitudes to onshore development indicated that so long as a proposed location was anticipated to be ‘out of sight’ it was considered in relatively general terms. The results are discussed with reference to site visibility and landscape concerns and clearly support calls for a shift towards community-focussed development strategies.

Chapter 17 Contingent Valuation

Article

Dec 2005
Handbook Environ Econ

Value estimates for environmental goods can be obtained by either estimating preference parameters as “revealed” through behavior related to some aspect of the amenity or using “stated” information concerning preferences for the good. In the environmental economics literature the stated preference approach has come to be known as “contingent valuation” as the “valuation” estimated obtained from preference information given the respondent is said to be “contingent” on the details of the “constructed market” for the environmental good put forth in the survey.

Explaining wind power planning outcomes: Some findings from a study in England and Wales

Article

Aug 2005
ENERG POLICY

David Toke

This paper discusses the factors that influence the outcome of onshore windfarm planning application in England and Wales. Various qualitative and quantitative methods have been employed, including regression analysis. Strong associations have been discovered between the outcome of local authority planning decisions, the opinions of local planning officers, the opinions of parish councils where the proposed windfarms are to be sited and the opinions of landscape protection groups. The attitude of people in the immediate vicinity of proposed windfarms is found to be the most important influence on the decisions made by local authorities. However, the local perception of the economic impact is of crucial importance in forming this judgement, as is the national political environment. The expected attitude of Appeal Inspectors is also important. It is concluded that there is a lot that wind power developers could do to improve the prospects of planning success. This includes engaging in local ‘parish council’ politics, talking to the closest residents to proposed schemes and encouraging local pro-wind power campaigns. Future projects are likely to be favoured by installing viewing towers at the tops of turbines to encourage visitors and in selling shares in the schemes to local people.

Diffusion of renewable energy technologies—barriers and stakeholders’ perspectives

Article

Jul 2004
RENEW ENERG

This paper presents the results of a survey administered to households, personnel belonging to industry and commercial establishments, and policy experts with the objective of eliciting their views on the barriers to the diffusion of renewable energy technologies (RETs). Taking the Maharashtra State, India, as a case study, the paper develops a systematic classification of barriers to the adoption of RETs (economic, technological, market and institutional) and ranking them based on the perceptions of various stakeholders. The results provide evidence of how the consumers receive RET information and make decisions using their limited analytical capabilities. The analysis is used to enhance the knowledge by introducing ideas based on behavioural theory. Not only do these ideas help understanding the consumer perspective, they also help develop policy interventions. The aim is to define each barrier and describe its mode of influence that will help to develop policy measures for the removal of each barrier.

On Public Attitudes towards Wind Power

Article

Jan 1998
RENEW ENERG

Cross country public support for renewable energy sources in general and for wind power in particular is very high. The level of public support varies, however, with people's local experience with wind power.

Willingness to participate in community-based renewable energy projects: A contingent valuation study in South Korea

Abstract

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