Understanding the role of non-monetary aspects in promoting citizen investment for the energy transition – An exploratory approach
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13067882 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Barbara Breitschopf (0000-0001-7922-766X, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 135 |
| Pages | 104678-104678 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-31 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Energy Research & Social Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2214-6296 • E-ISSN: 2214-6326 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104678 |
| OpenAlex | W7144306901 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 81 |
While Germany demonstrates strong societal support for the energy transition, actual investments in renewable energy projects remain low. This study addresses the research gap concerning financial participation, highlighting non-monetary factors as critical influences on citizens' investment decisions in energy transition technologies. Through a literature review and an online survey of German citizens ( n = 895), we analyse how monetary and non-monetary costs and benefits, as well as design preferences, affect financial participation. Our exploratory research reveals that perceived non-monetary costs and benefits along with co-investments may significantly shape investment decisions among German households. However, financial considerations dominate despite citizens' strong support for climate-friendly investments. Although perceptions may differ based on cultural, regulatory, and individual contexts, the findings identify key aspects that transcend national and cultural boundaries. These findings reflect a gap between stated preferences and real actions due to non-coincidence of rewards and costs, a dominance of individual costs over societal ones, and conflicting individual and social interests. The paper concludes with policy implications to enhance citizen engagement in renewable energy investments by emphasizing non-monetary benefits and suggests avenues for further research
Energy (signal processing · Energy transition · Exploratory research · Government (linguistics · Investment (military · Transition (genetics · Community Development and Social Impact · Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
Intentions to adopt photovoltaic systems depend on homeowners' expected personal gains and behavior of peers
Financing renewable energy infrastructures via financial citizen participation – The case of Germany
Public participation in wind energy projects located in Germany
Household energy use
Temporality, vulnerability, and energy justice in household low carbon innovations
Cognitive Dissonance Theory After 50 Years of Development
Consumer Acceptance and Use of Information Technology
Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology
Decoding the shift
From cognitive dissonance to cognitive Polyphasia
Understanding citizen investment in renewable energy communities
What's in it for me? Self-interest and preferences for distribution of costs and benefits of energy efficiency policies
A cognitive mess
Energizing local communities—What motivates Irish citizens to invest in distributed renewables
The role of human influences on adoption and rejection of energy technology
Green or greedy
Social acceptance of distributed energy systems in Swiss, German, and Austrian energy transitions
From thermal comfort to conflict
The psychology of participation and interest in smart energy systems
Diversifying power in action
No pipes in my backyard
Price or public participation? Community benefits for onshore wind in Ireland, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom
Behavioral Economics and the Conduct of Benefit-Cost Analysis
Understanding values embedded in offshore wind energy systems
What will drive household adoption of smart energy? Insights from a consumer acceptance study in Germany
Rural residents' climate change perceptions, personal experiences, and purchase intention–behavior gap in energy-saving refrigeration appliances in Southwest China
Smart energy technology
Local and socio-political acceptance of wind farms in Germany
Renewable energy adoption
It’s about time
Too risky – The role of finance as a driver of sustainability transitions
| Highly cited | No |
|---|