ADOPTION INTENTION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR SYSTEMS

The research objective is to analyze the influence of key factors contributing to consumers’ purchase intention grid-connected photovoltaic systems among residential energy consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey based on Korcaj et al. (2014Korcaj, L., Engel, R., & Sapda, H. (2014). Acceptance of Residential Solar Photovoltaic Systems among German Homeowners. Umweltpsychologie, 18, pp. 84-103.) was conducted in a major Brazilian city; 209 valid responses were obtained directly. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Among significant decision influences are environmental, financial, and autarchy benefits onto perceived global benefit and perceived behavioral control construct onto purchase intention; perceived social benefits, however, were not a relevant influence as opposed to previous studies.

Research limitations/implications

Weakness of the model’s reliability leading to the exclusion of the perceived total cost construct, which in turn could reduce sample bias and increase the reliability of the model and regarding clarity regarding the product “solar photovoltaic energy system”, as no text was used; this could have left questions unanswered due to the lack of knowledge of respondents about solar technology.

Practical implications

The high purchasing power and high education level, along with favorable weather and geography, may contribute to promising perspectives for the product. Furthermore, to promote adhesion of the technology in the city there is a need to increase benefits, to reduce perceived technology costs, and to value the importance of solar energy generation among reference groups.

Social implications

The analysis of factors influencing the city’s residents’ intentions of to adopt photovoltaic systems favors further promotion of the technology in the city.

Originality/value

It contributes to the development of consumer behavior studies regarding the adoption intention of ecologically sustainable technologies, i.e., GCPSs, thus, filling a gap in the literature on consumer behavior for this product.

Keywords -
Consumer behavior; Decision making; Purchase decision; Photovoltaic systems

	Cronbach's Alpha	Rho A	Composite Reliability	Average Variance Extracted (AVE)
Perceived Global Benefit (AT)	0.821	0.835	0.893	0.736
Perceived environmental benefits (PEB)	0.847	0.898	0.896	0.684
Perceived autarchy benefits (PAB)	0.716	0.775	0.820	0.540
Perceived economic benefits (PEB)	0.770	0.791	0.850	0.588
Perceived financial benefits (PFB)	0.697	0.743	0.797	0.449
Perceived social benefits (PSB)	0.757	0.795	0.797	0.409
Perceived behavioral control (PBC)	0.638	0.716	0.762	0.409
Perceived total cost (PTC)	0.560	1.061	0.649	0.430
Purchase intention (PI)	1.000	1.000	1.000	1.000
Subjective norms (SN)	0.851	0.870	0.885	0.526

	Cronbach's Alpha	Rho A	Composite Reliability	Average Variance Extracted (AVE)
Perceived Global Benefit (AT)	0.821	0.834	0.893	0.736
Perceived environmental benefits (PEB)	0.852	0.874	0.909	0.770
Perceived autarchy benefits (PAB)	0.745	0.775	0.851	0.657
Perceived economic benefits (PEB)	0.770	0.791	0.850	0.588
Perceived financial benefits (PFB)	0.645	0.655	0.808	0.584
Perceived social benefits (PSB)	0.692	0.744	0.803	0.513
Perceived behavioral control (PBC)	0.643	0.677	0.811	0.593
Perceived total cost (PTC)	0.450	0.955	0.735	0.603
Purchase intention (PI)	1.000	1.000	1.000	1.000
Subjective norms (SN)	0.839	0.855	0.882	0.557

	PGB	PEB	PAB	PECB	PFB	PSB	PBC	PTC	PI	SN
PGB	0.858
PEB	0.379	0.877
PAB	0.410	0.367	0.810
PECB	0.335	0.386	0.376	0.767
PFB	0.420	0.285	0.549	0.406	0.764
PSB	0.376	0.533	0.460	0.615	0.400	0.716
PBC	0.019	-0.143	0.171	0.057	0.121	-0.024	0.770
PTC	-0.189	-0.129	-0.155	0.012	-0.174	-0.047	-0.085	0.777
PI	0.531	0.080	0.173	0.309	0.276	0.240	0.313	-0.093	1.000
SN	0.372	0.083	0.185	0.403	0.345	0.485	0.255	0.135	0.504	0.746

	Original sample (O)	Sample mean (M)	Standard deviation (STDEV)	t statistics (O/STDEV)	p-values
Perceived global benefits (PGB) à Purchase intention (PI)	0.420	0.413	0.061	6.928	0.000
Perceived environmental benefits (PEB) à Perceived global benefits (PGB)	0.181	0.177	0.083	2.178	0.030
Perceived autarchy benefits (PAB) à Perceived global benefits (PGB)	0.150	0.150	0.071	2.119	0.035
Perceived economic benefits (PECB) à Perceived global benefits (PGB)	0.082	0.089	0.079	1.037	0.300
Perceived financial benefits (PFB) à Perceived global benefits (PGB)	0.205	0.207	0.079	2.610	0.009
Perceived social benefits (PSB) à Perceived global benefits (PGB)	0.073	0.078	0.104	0.700	0.484
Perceived behavioral control (PBC) à Purchase intention (PI)	0.232	0.240	0.073	3.169	0.002
Perceived total control (PTC) à Perceived global benefits (PGB)	-0.104	-0.111	0.063	1.660	0.098
Subjective norms (SN) à Purchase intention (PI)	0.289	0.292	0.061	4.753	0.000

Hypothesis	Description	t student	p value	Result
H1a	PEB à PGB	2.178	0.030	Accepted*
H1b	PFB à PGB	2.610	0.009	Accepted*
H1c	PSB à PGB	0.700	0.484	Rejected
H1d	PAB à PGB	2.119	0.035	Accepted*
H1e	PECB à PGB	1.037	0.300	Rejected
H1f	PTC à PGB	1.660	0.098	Rejected
H2a	PGB à PI	6.928	0.000	Accepted*
H2b	SN à PI	4.753	0.000	Accepted*
H2c	PBC à PI	3.169	0.002	Accepted*

Variables	This research	Maia (2016Maia, D. A. (2016). Intenções de compra de sistemas fotovoltaicos dependentes de ganhos pessoais esperados e comportamento dos pares. Brasília, DF: Monografia, Departamento de Administração, Universidade de Brasília. )	Korcaj et al. (2014Korcaj, L., Engel, R., & Sapda, H. (2014). Acceptance of Residential Solar Photovoltaic Systems among German Homeowners. Umweltpsychologie, 18, pp. 84-103. )
Perceived environmental benefits (PEB)	Relevant	Irrelevant	Irrelevant
Perceived financial benefits (PFB)	Relevant	Irrelevant	Relevant
Perceived social benefits (PSB)	Irrelevant	Relevant	Irrelevant
Perceived autarchy benefits (PAB)	Relevant	Irrelevant	Relevant
Perceived economic benefits (PEB)	Irrelevant	Relevant	Relevant
Perceived total cost (PTC)	Excluded	Relevant	Irrelevant
Perceived Global Benefit (AT)	Relevant	Relevant	Relevant
Subjective norms (SN)	Irrelevant	Irrelevant	Relevant
Perceived behavioral control (PBC)	Relevant	Relevant	Not compared

Universidade Federal de Santa Maria Avenida Roraima nº 1000, Prédio 74C, Sala 4210 - Cidade Universitária - Centro de Ciências Sociais e Humanas (CCSH) - Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Cep: 97105-900, Tel: +55 (55) 3220-9242 - Santa Maria - RS - Brazil
E-mail: rea@ufsm.br

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[1] 1. Álvaro José de Araújo Filgueira Institution Sol Energy CEO, Brazil. Master of Business Administration from the University of Fortaleza. ORCID: 0000-0003-4056-2430