Understanding consumers' renewable energy behaviour beyond “homo economicus”: An exploratory survey in four European countries

Climate change is putting global pressure for energy consumption and production to move towards sustainable solutions based on clean energy sources. Rapid advancements in technology make energy generation and storage solutions available and affordable for consumers and enable them to become relevant actors in the energy process. The actual success of sustainable energy solutions is however not so much dependent on technological readiness, which is already in place to large extent, but rather on influencing consumer adoption in an impactful way. This article explores consumers' behavioral drivers for the adoption of renewable energy solutions by comparing the economic, ecologic and social preferences of consumers in four European countries.