ABSTRACT

Solar energy is crucial to the transformation of the energy system, and it is important to promote ‘green’ energy technologies to achieve the 2015 UN Paris Agreement targets. This study takes a holistic view of consumers’ energy-related behaviour by identifying the factors driving the adoption of rooftop solar photovoltaic and by distinguishing the electricity conservation practices of solar and non-solar households. We reveal a nuanced understanding of the rebound effect from a behavioural perspective, which may help solar energy policy formulation and efficient decarbonization pathways in Australia and elsewhere. A face-to-face survey of 325 households in a regional city, principal component analysis and binary probit analysis were used to investigate the intention to install rooftop solar photovoltaic panels. The results show that home ownership, unwillingness to sacrifice personal comforts to save electricity, being pro-energy efficiency, and income are positively related to rooftop solar installation. In addition, different segments, such as the ‘energy-efficiency advocate’, the ‘digital tool lovers’ and the ‘behaviour change advocates’ were identified. Finally, recommendations for policy and practice are made to promote rooftop solar and more careful use of electricity in the residential sector.

摘要

太阳能对于能源系统的转型至关重要，推广“绿色”能源技术对实现2015年联合国巴黎协定目标具有重要意义。本研究通过确定推动采用屋顶太阳能光伏发电的因素以及区分太阳能和非太阳能家庭的节电做法，全面了解消费者的能源相关行为。我们从行为的角度揭示了对反弹效应的细微理解，这可能有助于澳大利亚和其他地方制定太阳能政策和有效的脱碳途径。对某区域城市325户家庭进行面对面调查，采用主成分分析法和二元概率分析法调查安装屋顶太阳能光伏板的意愿。结果表明，房屋所有权、不愿牺牲个人舒适度来节省用电、支持能源效率以及收入与屋顶太阳能安装呈正相关。此外，还确定了不同的细分群体，例如“能效倡导者”、“数字工具爱好者”和“行为改变倡导者”。最后，提出了政策和实践建议，以促进屋顶太阳能和住宅部门更谨慎地用电。