Exploring PV adoption by Non-Residential Property Owners: Applying Social Practice Theory
Main Article Content
Abstract
This article investigates the adoption of Photovoltaics (PV) systems by non-residential property owners in Sweden using a social practice theory approach. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted with private and public non-residential property owners in the south of Sweden. The results show that about half of the property owners had had PV systems installed for a long period and had developed a PV adoption practice. These property owners had established routines within the company, aggregated relevant knowledge, and had established trusted relationships with PV installers which supported the PV adoption process. On the contrary, first-time installers and non-adopters were missing these elements and had not yet established a PV adoption practice.
This study is the first step towards understanding PV adoption as a practice for non-residential property owners and contributes to an analysis of the elements that are required for a PV adoption practice to emerge. The practical relevance of the study is that it can facilitate and support non-residential property owners to adopt PV systems and contribute to a renewable electricity transition.
Article Details
Articles published in International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management are following the license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License: Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivs (by-nc-nd). Further information about Creative Commons
Authors can archive post-print (final draft post-refereering) on personal websites or institutional repositories under these conditions:
- Publishers version cannot be stored elsewhere but on publishers homepage
- Published source must be acknowledged
- Must link to publisher version
References
S. Comello, S. Reichelstein, and A. Sahoo, “The road ahead for solar PV power,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 92, pp. 744–756, Sep. 2018, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.04.098.
International Energy Agency, “Solar PV – Analysis,” IEA. Accessed: Oct. 05, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.iea.org/reports/solar-pv
R. A. A. Hasibi, “Multi-objective Analysis of Sustainable Generation Expansion Planning based on Renewable Energy Potential: A case study of Bali Province of Indonesia,” International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management, vol. 31, pp. 189–210, May 2021, http://doi.org/10.5278/ijsepm.6474.
A. Palm, “Early adopters and their motives: Differences between earlier and later adopters of residential solar photovoltaics,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 133, p. 110142, Nov. 2020, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110142.
International Energy Agency, “Renewables 2019 - Analysis and forecast to 2024,” 2019.
Y. Parag and B. K. Sovacool, “Electricity market design for the prosumer era,” Nat Energy, vol. 1, no. 4, p. 16032, Apr. 2016, http://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2016.32.
P. Nørgaard and S. H. Poder, “Perspectives on solar power in dense urban areas – with Copenhagen International School as case study,” The Journal of Engineering, vol. 2019, no. 18, pp. 5134–5137, 2019, http://doi.org/10.1049/joe.2018.9309.
A. Korfiati et al., “Estimation of the Global Solar Energy Potential and Photovoltaic Cost with the use of Open Data,” International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management, vol. 9, pp. 17–30, Mar. 2016, http://doi.org/10.5278/ijsepm.2016.9.3.
K. Reindl and J. Palm, “Installing PV: Barriers and enablers experienced by non-residential property owners,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 141, p. 110829, May 2021, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.110829.
F. Bartiaux, K. Gram-Hanssen, P. Fonseca, L. Ozoliņa, and T. H. Christensen, “A practice–theory approach to homeowners’ energy retrofits in four European areas,” p. 15, 2014.
K. Gram-Hanssen, “Understanding change and continuity in residential energy consumption,” Journal of Consumer Culture, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 61–78, Mar. 2011, http://doi.org/10.1177/1469540510391725.
E. Shove, M. Watson, and M. Pantzar, The Dynamics of Social Practice: Everyday Life and how it Changes. SAGE Publications, 2012.
M. S. Feldman and W. J. Orlikowski, “Theorizing Practice and Practicing Theory,” Organization Science, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 1240–1253, Oct. 2011, http://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1100.0612.
K. Gram-Hanssen, “Residential heat comfort practices: understanding users,” Building Research & Information, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 175–186, Apr. 2010, http://doi.org/10.1080/09613210903541527.
K. Gram-Hanssen, “Standby Consumption in Households Analyzed With a Practice Theory Approach,” Journal of Industrial Ecology, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 150–165, 2009, http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2009.00194.x.
T. Hargreaves, “Practice-ing behaviour change: Applying social practice theory to pro-environmental behaviour change,” Journal of Consumer Culture, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 79–99, Mar. 2011, http://doi.org/10.1177/1469540510390500.
J. Palm and S. J. Darby, “The Meanings of Practices for Energy Consumption – a Comparison of Homes and Workplaces,” S&TS, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 72–92, Jan. 2014, http://doi.org/10.23987/sts.55325.
I. Røpke and T. H. Christensen, “Energy impacts of ICT – Insights from an everyday life perspective,” Telematics and Informatics, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 348–361, Nov. 2012, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2012.02.001.
S. Hampton, “Policy implementation as practice? Using social practice theory to examine multi-level governance efforts to decarbonise transport in the United Kingdom,” Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 38, pp. 41–52, Apr. 2018, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.020.
J. Palm and K. Reindl, “Understanding energy efficiency in Swedish residential building renovation: A practice theory approach,” Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 11, pp. 247–255, Jan. 2016, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.11.006.
T. R. Schatzki, “On Organizations as they Happen,” Organization Studies, vol. 27, no. 12, pp. 1863–1873, Dec. 2006, http://doi.org/10.1177/0170840606071942.
T. R. Schatzki, “Peripheral Vision: The Sites of Organizations,” Organization Studies, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 465–484, Mar. 2005, http://doi.org/10.1177/0170840605050876.
D. Nicolini, Practice Theory, Work, and Organization: An Introduction. Oxford: OUP, 2012.
K. Reindl and J. Palm, “Energy efficiency in the building sector: A combined middle-out and practice theory approach,” International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management, vol. 28, pp. 3–16, 2020, http://doi.org/10.5278/ijsepm.3426.
D. Nicolini, “Is small the only beautiful? Making sense of ‘large phenomena’from a practice-based perspective,” in The Nexus of Practices Connections, constellations, practitioners, A. Hui, T. R. Schatzki, and E. Shove, Eds., Routledge, 2016.
K. Reindl, Implementing energy measures in renovations for multi-family dwellings: Influence and practice of professionals. Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press, 2017.
Z. Frances and F. Stevenson, “Domestic photovoltaic systems: the governance of occupant use,” Building Research & Information, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 23–41, Jan. 2018, http://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2017.1313661.
S. Kvale and S. Brinkmann, InterViews: learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2009.
N. Jain, “Survey Versus Interviews: Comparing Data Collection Tools for Exploratory Research,” TQR, Feb. 2021, http://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4492.
B. Flyvbjerg, Making Social Science Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and How it Can Succeed Again. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. http://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511810503.
J. D. Creswell and J. W. Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th ed. SAGE Publishing, 2018.
M. Schreier, Qualitative content analysis in practice. Los Angeles: Sage publications, 2012.
A. Karvonen, “Towards systemic domestic retrofit: a social practices approach,” Building Research & Information, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 563–574, Oct. 2013, http://doi.org/10.1080/09613218.2013.805298.
“SmartFlower Solar Review: The True Cost of a Solar Flower,” Solar.com. Accessed: Feb. 24, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.solar.com/learn/smartflower-solar-comprehensive-review/
J. Palm, “Household installation of solar panels – Motives and barriers in a 10-year perspective,” Energy Policy, vol. 113, pp. 1–8, Feb. 2018, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.047.
L. Bird, P. Gagnon, and J. Heeter, “Expanding Midscale Solar: Examining the Economic Potential, Barriers, and Opportunities at Offices, Hotels, Warehouses, and Universities,” NREL/TP--6A20-65938, 1326896, Sep. 2016. http://doi.org/10.2172/1326896.
S. Backlund, P. Thollander, J. Palm, and M. Ottosson, “Extending the energy efficiency gap,” Energy Policy, vol. 51, pp. 392–396, Dec. 2012, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.08.042.
E. F. Frey, “The impact of solar subsidies on California’s non-residential sector,” Energy Policy, p. 9, 2018.
D. N. Mah, G. Wang, K. Lo, M. K. H. Leung, P. Hills, and A. Y. Lo, “Barriers and policy enablers for solar photovoltaics (PV) in cities: Perspectives of potential adopters in Hong Kong,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 92, pp. 921–936, Sep. 2018, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2018.04.041.
X. Liang, W. Lu, and Z. Wu, “EFFECTS OF COLLABORATION NETWORKS ON TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN THE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SECTOR: A CASE STUDY OF CHINA,” Journal of Green Building, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 139–157, Jun. 2020, http://doi.org/10.3992/jgb.15.3.139.