An empirical analysis on awareness and intention adoption of residential ground source heat pump systems in Greece

Residential heating, cooling and Domestic Hot Water (DHW) production are responsible for a significant part of the residential energy consumption in Greece, which is currently based on the consumption of fossil fuels. A solution for the reduction of fossil fuel use -and all the negative effects that their use implies- is the application of renewable energy technologies, among which Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems are included. The present study examined awareness and adoption intention issues concerning this technology in Greece, through the conduction of a questionnaire survey. Specifically, it investigated public's knowledge on issues involving this technology, intention of installing it in households, main information sources and installation barriers. Socioeconomic and residence characteristics, as well as consumers' preferences and attitudes affecting the knowledge and adoption issues were examined. Factors affecting the subjects under investigation are gender, age, education level, environmentally friendly behavior and awareness, as well as having an occupation, studies or interests related to environment, technology or engineering. Additionally, the intention of installing a GSHP system is affected by specific household characteristics, infrastructure and consumers' preferences on characteristics of heating systems. In order to promote GSHPs, suitable financial incentives, regulatory improvements and awareness activities are required.