Public acceptance of environmentally friendly heating in Beijing: A case of a low temperature air source heat pump

Abstract

China has long suffered from severe pollution due to coal consumption in rural areas. One possible solution is the promotion of a new electric heating system, low temperature air source heat pump (LTHP) technology. This paper explores the possibility that the public will accept LTHPs for electric heating. We assess people's willingness to adopt (WTA) as well as willingness to pay (WTP) for LTHP technology and sociodemographic and perception information by conducting field surveys in rural Beijing and empirically characterize the determinants of public acceptance. The analysis reveals that income, science literacy and local environmental concern positively affect WTA and WTP, whereas global environmental concern does not. Contrary to our initial expectation, people in mountainous areas express the highest WTA and WTP, followed by those in hilly and plains areas. These findings suggest that efforts to promote this technology could begin in mountainous areas and move to hilly and then to plains areas, thereby advancing public education on local environmental concerns and science literacy. The adoption of such a plan has the potential to promote electric heating systems in the lowest-cost manner and ensures a cleaner environment through the shift from coal to electricity in rural Beijing.