Abstract
In this paper, we perform a literature review on the current state of knowledge about homeowners in the context of the adoption of renewable heating systems. Despite a considerable number of studies about homeowners, homeowner–installer interactions, and ways to improve the effectiveness of renewable heating programs, based on homeowner knowledge, have not yet been studied in much detail. To address these knowledge gaps, we conduct a qualitative study on single-family house owners who installed heat pumps and took part in a renewable heating program in Geneva, Switzerland. We cover homeowner practices in choosing installers and heating system types, homeowners’ feedback about heat pump installation and use, as well as their experience in participation in the renewable heating program. Based on the literature review and the findings from the interviews, we provide the following recommendations on how to increase the effectiveness of renewable heating programs: (a) support for homeowners should not be limited to financial incentives; (b) partnership programs with installers could help to increase the quality of installation services and enable homeowners to choose qualified installers; and (c) assisting homeowners in pre-qualification and ex-post analysis, in learning how to operate their renewable heating systems and in solving problems during the post-installation period, can contribute to improved technology reputation, which can, in turn, increase technology uptake by other homeowners.
Highlights
Renewable energy development is among the top energy policy issues in a wide range of countries [1,2,3,4,5,6]
We ask the following questions: Which information sources do homeowners use when choosing an installer? Which factors determine the choice of installers? How do interactions with installers impact homeowner satisfaction with the choice of renewable heating system? How could installers be included in renewable heating programs with the objective of increasing renewable heating technology uptake? To answer these questions, we explored the interactions between homeowners and installers, by performing a real-case qualitative study of single-family house owners who installed heat pumps in Geneva, Switzerland
The households mentioned the following preferences they had in choosing their installers: the company was a partner of the Chaleur renouvelable program, the installer was advised by a member of social circles or was known before; the installer made an offer free of charge, or its offer was the least expensive; the company provided all installation services itself, was situated in proximity to the house, or had a good commercial approach (i.e., “convincing”, “personalized”, “local craftsmanship”, “reliable”)
Summary
Renewable energy development is among the top energy policy issues in a wide range of countries [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Driven by the adoption of greenhouse gases (GHG) emission reduction targets, policy-makers and academia have been taking increased interest in renewable heat supply in buildings [9,10]. It has been recognized that accounting for homeowner preferences is essential to successfully promote renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies [11,12,13]. A proper understanding of how renewable space heating systems are adopted is especially important, given the long lifetime of the respective equipment [14]. Once a new heating system has been installed, it is unlikely that it will be replaced within the subsequent 20 years or even longer [12,15]
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