IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v46y2015icp79-87.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Early adopters boosting the diffusion of sustainable small-scale energy solutions

Author

Listed:
  • Nygrén, Nina A.
  • Kontio, Panu
  • Lyytimäki, Jari
  • Varho, Vilja
  • Tapio, Petri

Abstract

Local level actors have an important role in developing small-scale energy innovations as well as disseminating the gained knowledge to key audiences. Diffusion of these energy solutions from innovators and early adopters to wider user groups has often been slow. This study explores the innovators׳ and early adopters׳ experiences of their projects, motivations for their behavior, and obstacles that inhibit the diffusion of energy innovations. Four different types of innovators and early adopters of new energy solutions are identified: Enthusiasts, Utilizers, Green Developers and Green Consumers. These groups are characterized by different sets of motivating factors, including environmental concern, interest in technology, economic profit, self-sufficiency, willingness to utilize excess material, promotion of innovations and image reasons. They also have encountered different kinds of barriers to their actions, such as lack of relevant information, poor product quality and lack of economic and institutional support. The different motivating and forestalling factors should be identified and taken into account when developing incentives as well as interaction and communication strategies to enhance the diffusion of innovative, sustainable small-scale energy solutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Nygrén, Nina A. & Kontio, Panu & Lyytimäki, Jari & Varho, Vilja & Tapio, Petri, 2015. "Early adopters boosting the diffusion of sustainable small-scale energy solutions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 79-87.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:46:y:2015:i:c:p:79-87
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.02.031
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032115001197
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2015.02.031?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hockerts, Kai & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2010. "Greening Goliaths versus emerging Davids -- Theorizing about the role of incumbents and new entrants in sustainable entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 481-492, September.
    2. Negro, Simona O. & Alkemade, Floortje & Hekkert, Marko P., 2012. "Why does renewable energy diffuse so slowly? A review of innovation system problems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 3836-3846.
    3. Upham, Paul & Kivimaa, Paula & Virkamäki, Venla, 2013. "Path dependence and technological expectations in transport policy: the case of Finland and the UK," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 12-22.
    4. McMichael, Megan & Shipworth, David, 2013. "The value of social networks in the diffusion of energy-efficiency innovations in UK households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 159-168.
    5. Jenner, Steffen & Groba, Felix & Indvik, Joe, 2013. "Assessing the strength and effectiveness of renewable electricity feed-in tariffs in European Union countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 385-401.
    6. Maria Kopsakangas-Savolainen & Artti Juutinen, 2013. "Energy consumption and savings: A survey-based study of Finnish households," Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 71-92, March.
    7. Valkila, Noora & Saari, Arto, 2010. "Urgent need for new approach to energy policy: The case of Finland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(7), pages 2068-2076, September.
    8. Ornetzeder, Michael & Rohracher, Harald, 2006. "User-led innovations and participation processes: lessons from sustainable energy technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 138-150, January.
    9. Sally Caird & Robin Roy, 2008. "User-Centred Improvements To Energy Efficiency Products And Renewable Energy Systems: Research On Household Adoption And Use," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 12(03), pages 327-355.
    10. Åkerman, Maria & Kilpiö, Aino & Peltola, Taru, 2010. "Institutional change from the margins of natural resource use: The emergence of small-scale bioenergy production within industrial forestry in Finland," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 181-188, March.
    11. Salmela, Suvi & Varho, Vilja, 2006. "Consumers in the green electricity market in Finland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(18), pages 3669-3683, December.
    12. David, Paul A, 1985. "Clio and the Economics of QWERTY," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 332-337, May.
    13. Heiskanen, Eva & Johnson, Mikael & Robinson, Simon & Vadovics, Edina & Saastamoinen, Mika, 2010. "Low-carbon communities as a context for individual behavioural change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7586-7595, December.
    14. Hyysalo, Sampsa & Juntunen, Jouni K. & Freeman, Stephanie, 2013. "User innovation in sustainable home energy technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 490-500.
    15. Klessmann, Corinna & Held, Anne & Rathmann, Max & Ragwitz, Mario, 2011. "Status and perspectives of renewable energy policy and deployment in the European Union—What is needed to reach the 2020 targets?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7637-7657.
    16. Jacobson, Mark Z. & Delucchi, Mark A., 2011. "Providing all global energy with wind, water, and solar power, Part I: Technologies, energy resources, quantities and areas of infrastructure, and materials," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1154-1169, March.
    17. Foxon, Timothy J. & Pearson, Peter J.G. & Arapostathis, Stathis & Carlsson-Hyslop, Anna & Thornton, Judith, 2013. "Branching points for transition pathways: assessing responses of actors to challenges on pathways to a low carbon future," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 146-158.
    18. Franke, Nikolaus & Shah, Sonali, 2003. "How communities support innovative activities: an exploration of assistance and sharing among end-users," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 157-178, January.
    19. Geels, Frank W., 2004. "From sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems: Insights about dynamics and change from sociology and institutional theory," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6-7), pages 897-920, September.
    20. Salomón, Marianne & Savola, Tuula & Martin, Andrew & Fogelholm, Carl-Johan & Fransson, Torsten, 2011. "Small-scale biomass CHP plants in Sweden and Finland," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 4451-4465.
    21. Liimatainen, Heikki & Stenholm, Pekka & Tapio, Petri & McKinnon, Alan, 2012. "Energy efficiency practices among road freight hauliers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 833-842.
    22. Unruh, Gregory C., 2000. "Understanding carbon lock-in," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(12), pages 817-830, October.
    23. Nygrén, Nina A. & Lyytimäki, Jari & Tapio, Petri, 2012. "A small step toward environmentally sustainable transport? The media debate over the Finnish carbon dioxide-based car tax reform," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 159-167.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Palm, A., 2020. "Early adopters and their motives: Differences between earlier and later adopters of residential solar photovoltaics," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    2. Vainio, Annukka & Varho, Vilja & Tapio, Petri & Pulkka, Anna & Paloniemi, Riikka, 2019. "Citizens’ images of a sustainable energy transition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 606-616.
    3. Schlindwein, L.F. & Montalvo, C., 2023. "Energy citizenship: Accounting for the heterogeneity of human behaviours within energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    4. Mihailova, Darja & Schubert, Iljana & Martinez-Cruz, Adan L. & Hearn, Adam X. & Sohre, Annika, 2022. "Preferences for configurations of Positive Energy Districts – Insights from a discrete choice experiment on Swiss households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    5. Lyytimäki, Jari & Assmuth, Timo & Paloniemi, Riikka & Pyysiäinen, Jarkko & Rantala, Salla & Rikkonen, Pasi & Tapio, Petri & Vainio, Annukka & Winquist, Erika, 2021. "Two sides of biogas: Review of ten dichotomous argumentation lines of sustainable energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    6. Ehlers, Melf-Hinrich & Sutherland, Lee-Ann, 2016. "Patterns of attention to renewable energy in the British farming press from 1980 to 2013," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 959-973.
    7. Bergek, Anna & Mignon, Ingrid, 2017. "Motives to adopt renewable electricity technologies: Evidence from Sweden," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 547-559.
    8. Simpson, Genevieve, 2017. "Network operators and the transition to decentralised electricity: An Australian socio-technical case study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 422-433.
    9. Lopes, Marta A.R. & Henggeler Antunes, Carlos & Janda, Kathryn B. & Peixoto, Paulo & Martins, Nelson, 2016. "The potential of energy behaviours in a smart(er) grid: Policy implications from a Portuguese exploratory study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 233-245.
    10. Beltagui, Ahmad & Kunz, Nathan & Gold, Stefan, 2020. "The role of 3D printing and open design on adoption of socially sustainable supply chain innovation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    11. Reindl, K. & Palm, J., 2021. "Installing PV: Barriers and enablers experienced by non-residential property owners," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    12. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2018. "An empirical analysis of green energy adoption among residential consumers in Poland," HSC Research Reports HSC/18/01, Hugo Steinhaus Center, Wroclaw University of Technology.
    13. Roth, Lucas & Lowitzsch, Jens & Yildiz, Özgür, 2023. "Which (co-)ownership types in renewables are associated with the willingness to adopt energy-efficient technologies and energy-conscious behaviour? Data from German households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    14. Qin, Yong & Xu, Zeshui & Wang, Xinxin & Škare, Marinko, 2022. "Green energy adoption and its determinants: A bibliometric analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    15. Kowalska-Pyzalska, Anna, 2018. "What makes consumers adopt to innovative energy services in the energy market? A review of incentives and barriers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3570-3581.
    16. Liepold, Constanze & Fabianek, Paul & Madlener, Reinhard, 2023. "A Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework for Direct Load Control in Residential Buildings from an Occupants’ Perspective," FCN Working Papers 15/2023, E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN).
    17. Wu, Qiyan & Zhang, Xiaoling & Sun, Jingwei & Ma, Zhifei & Zhou, Chen, 2016. "Locked post-fossil consumption of urban decentralized solar photovoltaic energy: A case study of an on-grid photovoltaic power supply community in Nanjing, China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1-11.
    18. Ruggiero, Salvatore & Varho, Vilja & Rikkonen, Pasi, 2015. "Transition to distributed energy generation in Finland: Prospects and barriers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 433-443.
    19. Mignon, Ingrid & Winberg, Lisa, 2023. "The role of public energy advising in sustainability transitions – empirical evidence from Sweden," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    20. Hackbarth, André & Löbbe, Sabine, 2020. "Attitudes, preferences, and intentions of German households concerning participation in peer-to-peer electricity trading," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    21. Collier, Samuel H.C. & House, Jo I. & Connor, Peter M. & Harris, Richard, 2023. "Distributed local energy: Assessing the determinants of domestic-scale solar photovoltaic uptake at the local level across England and Wales," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    22. Anna Kowalska-Pyzalska, 2018. "An Empirical Analysis of Green Electricity Adoption Among Residential Consumers in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Erlinghagen, Sabine & Markard, Jochen, 2012. "Smart grids and the transformation of the electricity sector: ICT firms as potential catalysts for sectoral change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 895-906.
    2. Faber, Albert & Hoppe, Thomas, 2013. "Co-constructing a sustainable built environment in the Netherlands—Dynamics and opportunities in an environmental sectoral innovation system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 628-638.
    3. Markard, Jochen & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2016. "Analysis of complementarities: Framework and examples from the energy transition," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 63-75.
    4. Hyysalo, Sampsa & Juntunen, Jouni K. & Martiskainen, Mari, 2018. "Energy Internet forums as acceleration phase transition intermediaries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(5), pages 872-885.
    5. Galvin, Ray & Sunikka-Blank, Minna, 2014. "The UK homeowner-retrofitter as an innovator in a socio-technical system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 655-662.
    6. Rebekah Brown & Richard Ashley & Megan Farrelly, 2011. "Political and Professional Agency Entrapment: An Agenda for Urban Water Research," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 25(15), pages 4037-4050, December.
    7. Francesco Lamperti & Giovanni Dosi & Mauro Napoletano & Andrea Roventini & Alessandro Sapio, 2018. "And then he wasn't a she : Climate change and green transitions in an agent-based integrated assessment model," Working Papers hal-03443464, HAL.
    8. Lamperti, F. & Dosi, G. & Napoletano, M. & Roventini, A. & Sapio, A., 2020. "Climate change and green transitions in an agent-based integrated assessment model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    9. Polzin, Friedemann & Egli, Florian & Steffen, Bjarne & Schmidt, Tobias S., 2019. "How do policies mobilize private finance for renewable energy?—A systematic review with an investor perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 1249-1268.
    10. Jukka Luhas & Mirja Mikkilä & Ville Uusitalo & Lassi Linnanen, 2019. "Product Diversification in Sustainability Transition: The Forest-Based Bioeconomy in Finland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, June.
    11. Randelli, Filippo, 2015. "The Role Of Consumers In The Transition Towards A Sustainable Food Supply. The Case Of Gruppi Di Acquisto Solidale (Solidarity Purchasing Groups) In Italy," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 3(4), pages 1-12, October.
    12. Vanloqueren, Gaëtan & Baret, Philippe V., 2009. "How agricultural research systems shape a technological regime that develops genetic engineering but locks out agroecological innovations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 971-983, July.
    13. Owen, A. & Mitchell, G. & Gouldson, A., 2014. "Unseen influence—The role of low carbon retrofit advisers and installers in the adoption and use of domestic energy technology," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 169-179.
    14. Sharmeen, Fariya & Ghosh, Bipashyee & Mateo-Babiano, Iderlina, 2021. "Policy, users and discourses: Examples from bikeshare programs in (Kolkata) India and (Manila) Philippines," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    15. Coenen , Lars & Moodysson , Jerker & Martin , Hanna, 2013. "Renewal of mature industry in an old industrial region: regional innovation policy and the co-evolution of institutions and technology," Papers in Innovation Studies 2013/7, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    16. Nasiri, Masoud & Ramazani Khorshid-Doust, Reza & Bagheri Moghaddam, Nasser, 2013. "Effects of under-development and oil-dependency of countries on the formation of renewable energy technologies: A comparative study of hydrogen and fuel cell technology development in Iran and the Net," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 588-598.
    17. Wolsink, Maarten, 2020. "Distributed energy systems as common goods: Socio-political acceptance of renewables in intelligent microgrids," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    18. Filippo Randelli, 2013. "The role of consumers in the transition towards sustainability. The case of food supply," Working Papers - Economics wp2013_14.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    19. Raven, Rob, 2007. "Co-evolution of waste and electricity regimes: Multi-regime dynamics in the Netherlands (1969-2003)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 2197-2208, April.
    20. van der Vleuten, Erik & Raven, Rob, 2006. "Lock-in and change: Distributed generation in Denmark in a long-term perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(18), pages 3739-3748, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:46:y:2015:i:c:p:79-87. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.