Elisabeth Dütschke

Smart Homes as a Means to Sustainable Energy Consumption: A Study of Consumer Perceptions

European and national policies are aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and increasing energy efficiency—also in the household sector. For this purpose, new solutions for private homes based on information and communication technologies (ICT) are being developed and tested. However, up to now, hardly anyone has seen, experienced or lived in an environment that offers the full range of ICT-based energy management solutions. In this study, consumer reactions to a fully furnished and equipped smart home are analysed using focus groups (four groups with a total of 29 participants). The analysis looks at consumer perceptions of and reactions to an energy management system which optimizes electricity consumption based on different ICT solutions. The topics that were demonstrated in practice and then discussed with the participants included variable tariffs, smart metering, smart appliances, and home automation. In general, there were positive group reactions to the smart home environment. Consumers saw many advantages for themselves; especially the chance to save money. However, giving up high levels of flexibility and adapting everyday routines to fit in with electricity tariffs were regarded as difficult. Smart appliances and smart meters were therefore considered to be necessary elements by most participants. Concerns regarding data privacy played a major role in one of the groups.

Dynamic electricity pricing—Which programs do consumers prefer?

Dynamic pricing is being discussed as one method of demand side management (DSM) which could be crucial for integrating more renewable energy sources into the electricity system. At the same time, there have been very few analyses of consumer preferences in this regard: Which type of pricing program are consumers most likely to choose and why? This paper sheds some light on these issues based on two empirical studies from Germany: (1) A questionnaire study including a conjoint analysis-design and (2) A field experiment with test-residents of a smart home laboratory. The results show that consumers are open to dynamic pricing, but prefer simple programs to complex and highly dynamic ones; smart home technologies including demand automation are seen as a prerequisite for DSM. The study provides some indications that consumers might be more willing to accept more dynamic pricing programs if they have the chance to experience in practice how these can be managed in everyday life. At the same time, the individual and societal advantages of such programs are not obvious to consumers. For this reason, any market roll-out will need to be accompanied by convincing communication and information campaigns to ensure that these advantages are perceived.

How do Consumers Perceive Electric Vehicles? A Comparison of German Consumer Groups

Abstract Electric vehicles (EVs) are currently being discussed as a promising means to increase the energy efficiency and sustainability of todays transport systems. While technological progress and cost reduction are certainly crucial topics for their successful diffusion, consumer acceptance is another issue that warrants further analysis. Based on a large online survey (N = 969), we compared four consumer groups which differ in their likelihood to purchase an EV with regard to their socio-demographic characteristics, their willingness to pay (WTP) and their perceptions of EVs. The findings indicate that early users in Germany are most likely to be middle-aged men living with their families in a multi-vehicle household who have a higher WTP for an EV. Perceived compatibility of an EV with personal needs seems to be the most influential factor on the stated willingness to purchase an EV. With regard to the promotion of EVs, strengthening their environmental advantages and providing financial incentives for purchase are rated as important measures by a majority of the sample, while performance characteristics which are comparable to conventional vehicles seem to be less important for most participants. Based on the data analyses, we provide recommendations for measures regarding the further development and promotion of EVs.

Public Responses to Co2 Storage Sites: Lessons from Five European Cases

Studies of the factors involved in public perceptions of CO2 storage projects reveal a level of complexity and diversity that arguably confounds a comprehensive theoretical account. To some extent, a conceptual approach that simply organises the relevant social scientific knowledge thematically, rather than seeking an integrated explanation, is as useful as any single account that fails to do justice to the contingencies involved. This paper reviews and assembles such knowledge in terms of six themes and applies these themes to five European cases of carbon capture and storage (CCS) implementation. We identify the main factors involved in community responses to CCS as relating to: The characteristics of the project; the engagement process; risk perceptions; the actions of the stakeholders; the characteristics of the community, and the socio-political context.

Chances for and Limitations of Acceptance for CCS in Germany

This chapter presents two studies on the perception and acceptance of CCS in Germany: the first one is a qualitative case study analysis which examined four German projects which were initiated for CO2-storage. These include two commercial projects driven by industry (one in North Frisia, the other one in Eastern Brandenburg), a joint research and industry project in the Altmark focusing on Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR) and a joint research project at Ketzin. Only one of the four projects, the Ketzin project, was successful in proceeding to CO2 injection and did not elicit local protest. The comparison of the four cases points to differences in project scale and scope, in the perceived risks and benefits and in the communication processes, all of which have possibly influenced project acceptance. The second study investigated and compared the public perception of CO2 offshore storage, CO2 onshore storage and CO2 transport via pipeline based on a national and two regional surveys. It shows that CCS is not unknown amongst the German public; however, the acceptance of CO2 storage is low independent of the place of storage. Perceived risks and benefits are identified as the main influence factors on attitudes towards CO2 storage and CO2 transport via pipeline.

Exploring Rebound Effects from a Psychological Perspective

The analysis of energy efficiency rebound effects from a psychological perspective has just begun, and empirical studies analysing psychological factors in relation to the rebound effect are still scarce. In this chapter, we first identify possible psychological drivers to explain rebound effects based on psychological action theories. The outlined psychological framework suggests that energy efficiency improvements have different effects on behaviour depending on the interaction of psychological factors such as attitudes, personal and social norms and response efficacy. In a second step, we present results from an empirical study using focus group discussions to explore rebound effects and psychological drivers in the transport and residential sectors. The results are in line with the outlined psychological framework and indicate that need satiation, habits and mistaken beliefs about the optimal usage of a technology also seem to play a role. Finally, research questions are outlined to help further develop and test hypotheses on the psychological factors influencing rebound effects.

How Does the Actual Usage of Electric Vehicles Influence Consumer Acceptance

Electric vehicles are being intensively discussed as a possible sustainable and energy-efficient means of transport. Throughout Europe, broad programmes have been launched to support electric vehicle research, field trials and market diffusion. However, for a successful diffusion of electric vehicles, their acceptance by consumers is crucial. So far this issue has not been analysed sufficiently involving actual users of recent electric vehicle models. What do electric vehicle users and those intending to use an electric vehicle in the near future really think about electric vehicles? How do these perceptions change if they actually use an electric vehicle in everyday life? In order to provide answers to these questions, a longitudinal set of survey data has been analysed of participants in field trials in the eight pilot regions for electric mobility in Germany. These findings are compared to the survey data of nearly 1,000 German car drivers classified into four groups (current electric vehicle users, non-users with a concrete purchase intention, electric vehicle-interested people and consumers with no interest in electric vehicles). The analyses and the comparison between the two studies indicate that gaining real experience with electric vehicles has a positive influence on some predictors of the acceptance of electric vehicles according to the diffusion of innovation model by Rogers (2003). This indicates the relevance of the visibility and observability of electric vehicles. For example, providing test drive opportunities allows consumers to experience electric vehicles themselves and might help to increase consumer acceptance.

Moral Licensing - Another Source of Rebound?

The rebound effect – or offset in energy savings that occurs when an individual increases consumption of a good or service following an increase in its efficiency – has both economic and psychological underpinnings. In addition to the price, income and substitution effects emphasized by economists, psychologists point to the influence of moral licensing, the cognitive process by which individuals justify immoral behavior (e.g. driving more) by having previously engaged in moral behavior (e.g. purchasing a more efficient car). The present paper provides a conceptual and empirical overview of moral licensing, drawing comparisons with economic explanations for the rebound effect. Based on a theoretical model that illustrates how both economic and psychological motivations trigger rebound effects, as well as a review of microeconometric and experimental evidence, we conclude that consideration of moral licensing is warranted for judging the efficacy of policies targeted at energy consumption.