Exploring the role of stakeholder dynamics in residential photovoltaic adoption decisions: A quantitative survey in Germany

Residential decision-making with respect to low-carbon technologies has been studied intensively. Yet, in behavioural studies to date, individuals are typically assessed in isolation from their social environments. Furthermore, in existing energy transition modelling approaches, relevant stakeholder interactions and their effects are barely accounted for. The research at hand addresses this research gap by investigating stakeholder dynamics in residential PV decision-making from a procedural perspective. Based on a quantitative survey, we investigate the perceived influence of various stakeholders on decision-making. Special attention is given to the relative importance of different stakeholders in the different stages of the adoption process, while also considering the socio-economic characteristics of the participants. Individual credibility dimensions (hereinafter referred to as (stakeholder) attributes) are found to explain the varying influence of stakeholders along the decision stages in the PV adoption process.