A framework for investigating the acceptance of smart home technologies: Findings for residential smart HVAC systems

Abstract

We developed a framework to investigate the drivers for and barriers against adopting integrated smart home technologies to encourage broader adoption of these technologies that can significantly reduce the environmental impact of residential buildings. The framework entails an extension of the second version of the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) as the theoretical foundation for modeling acceptance behavior. The framework was validated by conducting an online survey of 1024 potential users focusing on smart home HVAC systems, utilizing structural equation modeling for analysis. The results demonstrated that three UTAUT2 constructs (i.e., performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and habit), as well as trust from the model extension, exert significant effects on the adoption intent. We also found that privacy and transparency are predictors of trust. Adequacy and customizability of interaction exhibited a strong effect on effort expectancy. The proposed framework can be adopted in future efforts to study the acceptance of other smart home technologies in a broader and more diverse demographic.