IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i5p1414-d144379.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Social Assessment of the Usage of Renewable Energy Sources and Its Contribution to Life Quality: The Case of an Attica Urban Area in Greece

Author

Listed:
  • Stamatios Ntanos

    (Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, School of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68200 Orestiada, Greece)

  • Grigorios Kyriakopoulos

    (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Zografou, Greece)

  • Miltiadis Chalikias

    (Department of Tourism Management, School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, University of West Attica, 12244 Egaleo, Greece)

  • Garyfallos Arabatzis

    (Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, School of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68200 Orestiada, Greece)

  • Michalis Skordoulis

    (Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, School of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68200 Orestiada, Greece)

  • Spyros Galatsidas

    (Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, School of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68200 Orestiada, Greece)

  • Dimitrios Drosos

    (Department of Business Administration, School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, University of West Attica, 12244 Egaleo, Greece)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and their contribution to citizens’ life quality. For this purpose, a survey was conducted using a sample of 400 residents in an urban area of the Attica region in Greece. The methods of Principal Components Analysis and Logit Regression were used on a dataset containing the respondents’ views on various aspects of RES. Two statistical models were constructed for the identification of the main variables that are associated with the RES’ usage and respondents’ opinion on their contribution to life quality. The conclusions that can be drawn show that the respondents are adequately informed about some of the RES’ types while most of them use at least one of the examined types of RES. The benefits that RES offer, were the most crucial variable in determining both respondents’ perceptions on their usage and on their contribution to life quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Stamatios Ntanos & Grigorios Kyriakopoulos & Miltiadis Chalikias & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Michalis Skordoulis & Spyros Galatsidas & Dimitrios Drosos, 2018. "A Social Assessment of the Usage of Renewable Energy Sources and Its Contribution to Life Quality: The Case of an Attica Urban Area in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-15, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1414-:d:144379
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/5/1414/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/5/1414/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kontogianni, Areti & Tourkolias, Christos & Skourtos, Michalis, 2013. "Renewables portfolio, individual preferences and social values towards RES technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 467-476.
    2. Stamatios Ntanos & Grigorios Kyriakopoulos & Miltiadis Chalikias & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Michalis Skordoulis, 2018. "Public Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy: A Case Study from Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Enevoldsen, Peter & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2016. "Examining the social acceptance of wind energy: Practical guidelines for onshore wind project development in France," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 178-184.
    4. Savvanidou, Electra & Zervas, Efthimios & Tsagarakis, Konstantinos P., 2010. "Public acceptance of biofuels," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3482-3488, July.
    5. Lueken, Colleen & Carvalho, Pedro M.S. & Apt, Jay, 2012. "Distribution grid reconfiguration reduces power losses and helps integrate renewables," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 260-273.
    6. Zhai, Pei & Williams, Eric D., 2012. "Analyzing consumer acceptance of photovoltaics (PV) using fuzzy logic model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 350-357.
    7. Swift, Kenton D., 2013. "A comparison of the cost and financial returns for solar photovoltaic systems installed by businesses in different locations across the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 137-143.
    8. Kirsten, Selder, 2014. "Renewable Energy Sources Act and Trading of Emission Certificates: A national and a supranational tool direct energy turnover to renewable electricity-supply in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 302-312.
    9. Malesios, Chrisovalantis & Arabatzis, Garyfallos, 2010. "Small hydropower stations in Greece: The local people's attitudes in a mountainous prefecture," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(9), pages 2492-2510, December.
    10. Kosenius, Anna-Kaisa & Ollikainen, Markku, 2013. "Valuation of environmental and societal trade-offs of renewable energy sources," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1148-1156.
    11. López-Peña, Álvaro & Pérez-Arriaga, Ignacio & Linares, Pedro, 2012. "Renewables vs. energy efficiency: The cost of carbon emissions reduction in Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 659-668.
    12. Arabatzis, G. & Malesios, Ch., 2011. "An econometric analysis of residential consumption of fuelwood in a mountainous prefecture of Northern Greece," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 8088-8097.
    13. Carlisle, Juliet E. & Kane, Stephanie L. & Solan, David & Bowman, Madelaine & Joe, Jeffrey C., 2015. "Public attitudes regarding large-scale solar energy development in the U.S," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 835-847.
    14. Lambert, Jessica G. & Hall, Charles A.S. & Balogh, Stephen & Gupta, Ajay & Arnold, Michelle, 2014. "Energy, EROI and quality of life," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 153-167.
    15. Tyagi, V.V. & Rahim, Nurul A.A. & Rahim, N.A. & Selvaraj, Jeyraj A./L., 2013. "Progress in solar PV technology: Research and achievement," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 443-461.
    16. Kaldellis, J.K. & Kapsali, M. & Kaldelli, El. & Katsanou, Ev., 2013. "Comparing recent views of public attitude on wind energy, photovoltaic and small hydro applications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 197-208.
    17. Akella, A.K. & Saini, R.P. & Sharma, M.P., 2009. "Social, economical and environmental impacts of renewable energy systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 390-396.
    18. Arabatzis, Garyfallos & Myronidis, Dimitris, 2011. "Contribution of SHP Stations to the development of an area and their social acceptance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(8), pages 3909-3917.
    19. Zografakis, Nikolaos & Sifaki, Elli & Pagalou, Maria & Nikitaki, Georgia & Psarakis, Vasilios & Tsagarakis, Konstantinos P., 2010. "Assessment of public acceptance and willingness to pay for renewable energy sources in Crete," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 1088-1095, April.
    20. Xydis, G., 2012. "Development of an integrated methodology for the energy needs of a major urban city: The case study of Athens, Greece," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(9), pages 6705-6716.
    21. Baris, Kemal & Kucukali, Serhat, 2012. "Availibility of renewable energy sources in Turkey: Current situation, potential, government policies and the EU perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 377-391.
    22. Trypolska, Galyna, 2012. "Feed-in tariff in Ukraine: The only driver of renewables' industry growth?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 645-653.
    23. Shyu, Chian-Woei, 2012. "Rural electrification program with renewable energy sources: An analysis of China’s Township Electrification Program," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 842-853.
    24. Kaldellis, J. K., 2005. "Social attitude towards wind energy applications in Greece," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 595-602, March.
    25. Arabatzis, Garyfallos & Malesios, Chrisovalantis, 2013. "Pro-environmental attitudes of users and non-users of fuelwood in a rural area of Greece," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 621-630.
    26. Fuss, Sabine & Szolgayová, Jana & Khabarov, Nikolay & Obersteiner, Michael, 2012. "Renewables and climate change mitigation: Irreversible energy investment under uncertainty and portfolio effects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 59-68.
    27. Musall, Fabian David & Kuik, Onno, 2011. "Local acceptance of renewable energy--A case study from southeast Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3252-3260, June.
    28. Zhou, Huizhong, 2012. "Impacts of renewables obligation with recycling of the buy-out fund," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 284-291.
    29. Moe, Espen, 2012. "Vested interests, energy efficiency and renewables in Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 260-273.
    30. Tsantopoulos, Georgios & Arabatzis, Garyfallos & Tampakis, Stilianos, 2014. "Public attitudes towards photovoltaic developments: Case study from Greece," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 94-106.
    31. Wassermann, Sandra & Reeg, Matthias & Nienhaus, Kristina, 2015. "Current challenges of Germany’s energy transition project and competing strategies of challengers and incumbents: The case of direct marketing of electricity from renewable energy sources," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 66-75.
    32. Voumvoulakis, Emmanouil & Asimakopoulou, Georgia & Danchev, Svetoslav & Maniatis, George & Tsakanikas, Aggelos, 2012. "Large scale integration of intermittent renewable energy sources in the Greek power sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 161-173.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Stamatios Ntanos & Grigorios Kyriakopoulos & Miltiadis Chalikias & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Michalis Skordoulis, 2018. "Public Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy: A Case Study from Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Sofia-Despoina Papadopoulou & Niki Kalaitzoglou & Maria Psarra & Sideri Lefkeli & Evangelia Karasmanaki & Georgios Tsantopoulos, 2019. "Addressing Energy Poverty through Transitioning to a Carbon-Free Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Tsantopoulos, Georgios & Arabatzis, Garyfallos & Tampakis, Stilianos, 2014. "Public attitudes towards photovoltaic developments: Case study from Greece," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 94-106.
    4. Balezentis, Tomas & Streimikiene, Dalia & Mikalauskas, Ignas & Shen, Zhiyang, 2021. "Towards carbon free economy and electricity: The puzzle of energy costs, sustainability and security based on willingness to pay," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    5. Soon, Jan-Jan & Ahmad, Siti-Aznor, 2015. "Willingly or grudgingly? A meta-analysis on the willingness-to-pay for renewable energy use," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 877-887.
    6. Baharoon, Dhyia Aidroos & Rahman, Hasimah Abdul & Fadhl, Saeed Obaid, 2016. "Personal and psychological factors affecting the successful development of solar energy use in Yemen power sector: A case study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 516-535.
    7. Theodoros Anagnostopoulos & Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos & Stamatios Ntanos & Eleni Gkika & Sofia Asonitou, 2020. "Intelligent Predictive Analytics for Sustainable Business Investment in Renewable Energy Sources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-11, April.
    8. Tampakis, Stilianos & Τsantopoulos, Georgios & Arabatzis, Garyfallos & Rerras, Ioannis, 2013. "Citizens’ views on various forms of energy and their contribution to the environment," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 473-482.
    9. Efi Drimili & Ζoi Gareiou & Efthimios Zervas, 2020. "Public perceptions of the concept of green growth: application in Athens, Greece, during a period of economic crisis," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 6053-6076, October.
    10. Kontogianni, Areti & Tourkolias, Christos & Skourtos, Michalis, 2013. "Renewables portfolio, individual preferences and social values towards RES technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 467-476.
    11. Baharoon, Dhyia Aidroos & Rahman, Hasimah Abdul & Fadhl, Saeed Obaid, 2016. "Publics׳ knowledge, attitudes and behavioral toward the use of solar energy in Yemen power sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 498-515.
    12. Kim, Kyung Jae & Lee, Hwarang & Koo, Yoonmo, 2020. "Research on local acceptance cost of renewable energy in South Korea: A case study of photovoltaic and wind power projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    13. Salak, B. & Lindberg, K. & Kienast, F. & Hunziker, M., 2021. "How landscape-technology fit affects public evaluations of renewable energy infrastructure scenarios. A hybrid choice model," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    14. Tampakis, Stilianos & Arabatzis, Garyfallos & Tsantopoulos, Georgios & Rerras, Ioannis, 2017. "Citizens’ views on electricity use, savings and production from renewable energy sources: A case study from a Greek island," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 39-49.
    15. Oerlemans, Leon A.G. & Chan, Kai-Ying & Volschenk, Jako, 2016. "Willingness to pay for green electricity: A review of the contingent valuation literature and its sources of error," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 875-885.
    16. Sonnberger, Marco & Ruddat, Michael, 2017. "Local and socio-political acceptance of wind farms in Germany," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 56-65.
    17. Evangelia Karasmanaki & Spyridon Galatsidas & Georgios Tsantopoulos, 2019. "An Investigation of Factors Affecting the Willingness to Invest in Renewables among Environmental Students: A Logistic Regression Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-18, September.
    18. Carsten Herbes & Lorenz Braun & Dennis Rube, 2016. "Pricing of Biomethane Products Targeted at Private Households in Germany—Product Attributes and Providers’ Pricing Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-15, March.
    19. Brennan, Noreen & Van Rensburg, Thomas M, 2016. "Wind farm externalities and public preferences for community consultation in Ireland: A discrete choice experiments approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 355-365.
    20. Sardianou, E. & Genoudi, P., 2013. "Which factors affect the willingness of consumers to adopt renewable energies?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-4.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1414-:d:144379. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.