Challenges in the Adoption of Energy efficient Measures Developing Behaviourally Informed Intervention tools for SME Industries

Abstract

Various policy level interventions and regulatory measures in the energy field, adopted across the globe, have been found unsuccessful in narrowing the energy efficiency gap, thereby not reducing the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and global warming. In this regard, understanding the key driving factors can help develop effective intervention strategies to improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. In the realm of energy efficiency technology adoption, most of the studies on energy behaviour focused on the residential and commercial sectors, thus leaving a huge gap in knowledge and research in understanding the industrial energy behaviour that influences Willingness to Adopt (WTA) energy-efficient measures amongst the small and medium enterprises (SME) in particular. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this research is to examine the factors influencing the Industry s intentions and behaviour, which leads to enhanced adoption of Energy Efficient Measures (EEM) recommended through energy audits. Researches around the globe have identified many drivers for and barriers to energy conservation measures, recommended by experts after energy assessments. The major research gaps identified after a systematic literature review were, the absence of post-assessment measurement and verification and appropriate intervention strategies that could enhance the adoption of energy audit recommendations. The study addresses the limitations of prior research by developing intervention strategies to enhance the adoption of energy-efficient opportunities. The specific objectives of the study were: (a) to identify key factors influencing the adoption of EEMs; newline(b) identify and analyse the reasons for non-adoption of energy audit recommendations;(c) study the interlinkages between behavioural elements influencing adoption of EEMs, (d) to develop behaviourally informed intervention strategies to enhance the adoption of energy-efficient measures among SME sectors. It was found that imperfect evaluation,pre-occupations...