Science – Society – Technology
Table 1 Studies on user motivation
Study | Technology | Region | Sample size | Motivational factors (in the order of their importance) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studies dealing exclusively with ground source heat pump systems | ||||
Kölbel et al. 2009 (survey carried out in 2007) Focus on motivational factors of risers who received a grant | Ground source heat pump | Germany, Federal State of Baden-Wurttemberg | About 1000 | - Increasing fuel prices |
- Active personal contribution to environmental protection | ||||
- Use of innovative technology (Further criteria: cleanliness of the technology, compact size) | ||||
Sawillion 2010 (survey carried out in 2007/2008) Technical aspects treated dominantly; several questions on user’s motivations were asked | Ground source heat pump | Germany, Federal State of Baden-Wurttemberg | 145 | - Environmentally friendly technology |
- Economic feasibility (Further reasons: security of supply, manageability, independence from fossil fuels, personal interest in the technology) | ||||
Studies dealing with different technologies but revealing results for ground source heat pump systems explicitly | ||||
Roy et al. 2008, Caird and Roy 2011 (date of the survey not found) | - Ground source heat pump | UK | >900 (89 GSHP) | - To reduce CO2 emissions |
- Solar thermal hot water | ||||
- Wood-fuelled boilers | - To save money on fuel bills | |||
- Automatic pellet-fed biomass room heaters or stoves | ||||
- The anticipated pleasure of owning and using low or zero-carbon technology | ||||
Hee et al. 2013 (survey carried out in 2012) Focus on user’s motivation | - Ground source heat pump | North Carolina, USA | 1023 (GSHP) | - Costs of electricity bills |
- Solar PV | ||||
- To do something for the environment | ||||
Studies dealing with several heat pump technologies without distinguishing or comparing the results concerning ground source and air-based heat pumps | ||||
Erb et al. 2004 (survey carried out in 1997) Focus on technical aspects;motivational factors were an add-on | - Ground source heat pump | Switzerland | 218 (total sample) | - Environmentally friendly heating system |
- Air-based heat pump | ||||
- Space-saving technology | ||||
Michelsen and Madlener 2013 (survey carried out in 2010) Focus on motivational factors of users who received a grant | - Heat pump | Germany | 2440 (total sample) | - Multiple reasons without clear preference on single aspects (beneath these: interest in the technology, environmentally friendly future technology, independence from fossil fuels) |
- Oil- or gas-fired condensing boiler with solar thermal support | ||||
- Woodpellet-fired boiler | Â | |||
Fall 2014 (survey carried out in 2013/2014) Focus on user’s motivation | - Ground source heat pump | Germany | 30 (total sample) | - Independence from fossil fuels |
- Air-based heat pump | ||||
- Environmentally friendly technology | ||||
- Economic feasibility | ||||
- Low-maintenance technology | ||||
- Interesting innovative (new) technology | ||||