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Article
Publication date: 10 May 2022

Vikas Kumar and Arun Kumar Kaushik

This study aims to examine factors influencing purchase intentions of households toward solar rooftops, using diffusion of innovation theory.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine factors influencing purchase intentions of households toward solar rooftops, using diffusion of innovation theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Six dimensions from the diffusion of innovation theory have been contemplated to assess households’ purchase intentions toward solar rooftops. Primary data was collected from 863 respondents by using a purposive sampling technique from different parts of India. The study used structural equation modeling analysis to examine the data.

Findings

Results confirmed that the dimensions, namely, relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, innovations and observability, positively influence households’ purchase intentions of solar rooftops, except for the trialability dimension.

Research limitations/implications

Data for the study is based on a purposive sampling technique that restricts the representation of the whole population. There may be variance in public perception from place to place due to demographic and psychographic differences.

Practical implications

The present study would facilitate devising a roadmap to improve the quality of the environment. Policy planners, researchers and professionals would find the implications of this study helpful in developing critical strategies.

Originality/value

The research practically explores households’ intention to purchase solar rooftops by filling the gap in previous literature. Findings of the study can equip firms with several advantages. Through the present study, one gets to know that developed and developing economies have similar energy usage issues. Further, it empirically examines the applicability of diffusion of innovation theory in the solar rooftops context.

Details

Journal of Social Marketing, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-6763

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 June 2020

Sandesh Thapa, Rakshya Bhandari and Anjal Nainabasti

The purpose of this study was to observe the people’s response regarding rooftop farming in one of the rapidly developing area of Kavrepalanchok district, Dhulikhel, as rooftop…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to observe the people’s response regarding rooftop farming in one of the rapidly developing area of Kavrepalanchok district, Dhulikhel, as rooftop farming is aimed in solving food security problem in urban area by providing quality materials for nutritional requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design of this study was random sampling survey with replacement techniques as respondents without concrete roof were not selected for the study. This study was aimed at recording the people’s response in one of the most accessible way, which would be easy for interpretation and analysis.

Findings

The major finding was that all of the respondents found rooftop farming beneficial but not all could practice it because of many constraints associated with rooftop farming. Most of them have fear of roof damage, so they are not adopting it. However, the respondents who are practicing rooftop farming find it difficult to manage because of lack of proper knowledge. Planting materials include plastic bags, crates, polythene and many other non-recyclable components.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first ever conducted in their country. Surveys related to rooftop gardening have not been done in the authors’ country till date. This is one of the present needs to improve the urban farming status, thus survey on rooftop farming and solving its constraints is necessary.

Details

Ecofeminism and Climate Change, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2633-4062

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2020

Oriol Anguera-Torrell, Jordi Arcos-Pumarola, Aurélie Cerdan Schwitzguébel and Laia Encinar-Prat

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the disruption potential on the daily life of Barcelona’s residents of HolaPlace, a new peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace for terraces and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the disruption potential on the daily life of Barcelona’s residents of HolaPlace, a new peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace for terraces and rooftops. Specifically, it describes its listings’ characteristics and examines their geographical overlapping with signs of tourism-related disruption on residents’ quality of life.

Design/methodology/approach

Available data of the listings in this P2P platform has been scraped in November 2019. This data has been combined with two other sources of information that provide information on the tourism intensity in the different neighbourhoods of the city. The obtained information has been examined using quantitative and qualitative techniques.

Findings

P2P rooftops and terraces tend to be located in the same neighbourhoods that were already experiencing a high concentration of tourism activity. Moreover, the identified characteristics of the listings suggest that the rental of these terraces and rooftops might impact on the daily life of the residents.

Research limitations/implications

This study has only examined the offer of P2P terraces and rooftops in Barcelona. Further studies should also take into account how this business model affects other cities, and how it impacts on residents.

Social implications

The conducted analysis highlights the importance of a proactive regulation of this new P2P phenomenon that anticipates the potential socials costs on the daily life of residents.

Originality/value

The rental of terraces and rooftops in a P2P fashion is a novel phenomenon and, consequently, it has not been previously studied from an academic point of view.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2021

Mohammad Amin Sobouti, Mehdi Bigdeli and Davood Azizian

This paper aims to evaluate the effect of optimal use of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems on improving the loss of life (LOL) of distribution transformers, reducing power losses…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the effect of optimal use of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems on improving the loss of life (LOL) of distribution transformers, reducing power losses as well as the unbalance rate of the 69-bus distribution network.

Design/methodology/approach

The problem is studied in three scenarios, considering different objective functions as multi-objective optimization in balanced and unbalanced operations. Meta-heuristic golden ratio optimization method (GROM) is used to determine the optimal size of the rooftop PV in the network.

Findings

The simulation results show that in all scenarios, the GROM by optimally installing the rooftop PV is significantly capable to reduce the transformer distribution loss of loss, unbalance rate and power loss as well as reduce the temperature of the oil and transformer winding. Also, the lowest %LOL, power loss and unbalance rate occurred in the second scenario for the balanced network and first scenario, respectively. In addition, the results showed that the unbalance of the network results in increased power losses and LOL of the distribution transformer.

Originality/value

The better capability of GROM is proved compared with the grey wolf optimization algorithm with better objective function and by achieving better values of LOL, unbalance rate and power loss. The results also showed that the %LOL, unbalance and power losses are weakened compared to without considering the PV cost but the achieved results are realistic and cost-effective.

Article
Publication date: 2 June 2022

Muhammad Waresul Hassan Nipun, Md Ashik-Ur-Rahman, Sharmin Yousuf Rikta, Afshana Parven and Indrajit Pal

The effects of population growth in the developing world and climate change have increased the stress on available water resources. The majority of Rajshahi city, Bangladesh, is…

Abstract

Purpose

The effects of population growth in the developing world and climate change have increased the stress on available water resources. The majority of Rajshahi city, Bangladesh, is facilitated with groundwater withdrawal. As Bangladesh is a country of monsoon climate, reserved rainwater can be contributed as an alternative to extracted groundwater. This study aims to develop a framework for rooftop rainwater harvesting (RRWH) for domestic purposes and estimate the appropriate size of the storage tanks and their costs required to fulfill the annual drinking and cooking water demands through RRWH in Rajshahi city of Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 100 single-story residential dwellings with varying rooftop areas were surveyed for the projection of RRWH potential. The relationship between the size and cost of a water tank and the rooftop areas of different houses is expressed using a general mathematical equation. Cost estimates for the proposed RRWH system for all houses have been completed, and a cost model illustrating the relationship between rooftop or catchment area and associated cost of RRWH system has been developed.

Findings

This study reveals that a maximum of 110.75 m3/year rainwater can be collected from a 100 m2 rooftop area of Rajshahi city. Moreover, this study finds that such harvesting of rainwater can reduce municipal water supply to the extent of almost 75%. Water samples collected from rooftops also revealed that if germs were removed through bacteria treatment, the collected rainwater potentially can be used for drinking and cooking purposes.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study is that it focused mainly on how significant RRWH can be to meet people’s daily required amount of water for household purpose and ascertain the cost reduction using the RWH method. This paper also is unique as it assessed the volume of the storage tank that is sufficient to distribute the necessary amount of water for drinking and cooking purpose as a sustainable alternative source in the dry season.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2020

Chandan Parsad, Shashank Mittal and Raveesh Krishnankutty

Recent research on the energy system highlights the need for understanding the bandwidth of drivers and inhibitors of household investor's behaviour in rooftop PV (or photovoltaic…

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Abstract

Purpose

Recent research on the energy system highlights the need for understanding the bandwidth of drivers and inhibitors of household investor's behaviour in rooftop PV (or photovoltaic power system) and to fit the broader socio-economic context in which they are deployed. However, apart from few exceptions, these newer perspectives have not been duly applied in the research on rooftop PV. This paper aims to fill this gap and to shed new light on rooftop PV investment decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has been conducted with the primary data collected using two data sets of 237 households and 387 households of Indian southern state Kerala using survey-based questionnaire. The findings from first data set revealed that households considering the adoption of PV were likely influenced by six distinct factors, three motivators and three inhibitors. Second data set for multi-state analytic approach was proposed whereby the research model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). The outcomes of SEM were used as inputs for an artificial neural network (ANN) model for forecasting investor investment decision in in renewables. The ANN model was also used to rank the relative influence of significant predictors obtained from SEM.

Findings

In line with the risk–return framework, government subsidies act as primary motivator which helps in overcoming the initial risk of investment in the new technology. Further, low prices and low cost of maintenance are some of the financial motivators which may likely mitigate the long-term apprehension of returns and maintenance cost. Lastly, the strongest motivators of PV investment come from the environmental and financial motivator in the form of PV subsidies, which further solidifies the role of policy interventions in investment decision. The ANN model identified the technical barrier and knowledge and awareness factors play a significant role in forcasting the investor investing decision.

Practical implications

The study results will be useful for policymakers for framing strategies to attract and influence their investment in renewable energy.

Originality/value

Building upon behavioural finance and institutional theory, this paper posits that, in addition to a rational evaluation of the economics of the investment opportunities, various non-financial factors affect the household's decision to invest in renewables.

Article
Publication date: 26 February 2019

M. Asif, Mohammad A. Hassanain, Kh Md Nahiduzzaman and Haitham Sawalha

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is facing a rapid growth in energy demand mainly because of factors like burgeoning population, economic growth, modernization and infrastructure…

Abstract

Purpose

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is facing a rapid growth in energy demand mainly because of factors like burgeoning population, economic growth, modernization and infrastructure development. It is estimated that between 2000 and 2017 the power consumption has increased from 120 to 315 TWh. The building sector has an important role in this respect as it accounts for around 80 percent of the total electricity consumption. The situation is imposing significant energy, environmental and economic challenges for the country. To tackle these problems and curtail its dependence on oil-based energy infrastructure, KSA is aiming to develop 9.5 GW of renewable energy projects by 2030. The campus of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) has been considered as a case study. In the wake of recently announced net-metering policy, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the prospects of rooftop application of PV in buildings. ArcGIS and PVsyst software have been used to determine the rooftop area and undertake PV system modeling respectively. Performance of PV system has been investigated for both horizontal and tilted installations. The study also investigates the economic feasibility of the PV application with the help of various economic parameters such as benefit cost ratio, simple payback period (SPP) and equity payback periods. An environmental analysis has also been carried out with the help of RETScreen software to determine the savings in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of PV system.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines the buildings of the university campus for utilizable rooftop areas for PV application. Various types of structural, architectural and utilities-related features affecting the use of building roofs for PV have been investigated to determine the corrected area. To optimize the performance of the PV system as well as space utilization, modeling has been carried out for both horizontal and tilted applications of panels. Detailed economic and environmental assessments of the rooftop PV systems have also been investigated in detail. Modern software tools such as PVsyst, ArcGIS and RETScreen have also been used for system design calculations.

Findings

Saudi Arabia is embarking on a massive solar energy program as it plans to have over 200 GW of installed capacity by 2030. With solar energy being the most abundant of the available renewable resource for the country, PV is going to be one of the main technologies in achieving the set targets. The country has, however, unlike global trends, traditionally overlooked the small-scale and building-related application of solar PV, focusing mainly on larger projects. This study explores the prospects of utilization of solar PV on building roofs. Building rooftops are constrained in terms of PV application owing to wide ranging obstacles that can be classified into five types – structural, services, accessibility, maintenance and others. The total building rooftop area in the study zone, calculated through ArcGIS has been found to be 857,408 m2 of which 352,244 m2 is being used as car parking and hence is not available for PV application. The available roof area, 505,165 m2 is further hampered by construction and utilities related features including staircases, HVAC systems, skylights, water tanks and satellite dish antennas. Taking into account the relevant obstructive features, the net rooftop area covered by PV panels has been found to be in the range 25–41 percent depending upon the building typology, with residential buildings offering the least. To optimize both the system efficiency and space utilization, PV modeling has been carried out with the help of PVsyst software for both the tilted and horizontal installations. In terms of output, PV panels with tilt angle of 24° have been found to be 9 percent more efficient compared to the horizontally installed ones. Modeling results provide a net annual output 37,750 and 46,050 MWh from 21.44 and 28.51 MW of tilted and horizontal application of PV panels, sufficient to respectively meet 16 and 20 percent of the total campus electricity requirements. Findings of the economic analysis reveal the average SPP for horizontal and tilted applications of the PV to be 9.2 and 8.4 years, respectively. The benefit cost ratio for different types of buildings for horizontal and tilted application has been found to be ranging between 0.89 and 2.08 and 0.83 and 2.15, respectively. As electricity tariff in Saudi Arabia has been increased this year by as much as 45 percent and there are plans to remove $54bn of subsidy by 2020, the cost effectiveness of PV systems will be greatly helped. Application of PV in buildings can significantly improve their environmental performance as the findings of this study reveal that the annual greenhouse gas emission in the KFUPM campus can be reduced by as much as 40,199 tons carbon dioxide equivalent.

Originality/value

The PV application on building roof especially from economic perspective is an area which has not been addressed thus far. Khan et al. (2017) studied the power generation potential for PV application on residential buildings in KSA. Asif (2016) also investigated power output potential of PV system in different types of buildings. Dehwas et al. (2018) adopted a detailed approach to determine utilizability of PV on residential building roofs. None of these studies have covered the economics of PV systems. This study attempts to address the gap and contribute to the scholarship on the subject. It targets to determine the power output from different types of building in an urban environment by taking into account building roof conditions. It also provides detailed economic assessment of PV systems. Subsequent environmental savings are also calculated.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2012

Michael Behm and Poh Choon Hock

Singapore is transforming from a “garden city” to a “city‐in‐a‐garden”. Designing for safety is recognized by researchers and some governments as a best practice in facilitating…

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Abstract

Purpose

Singapore is transforming from a “garden city” to a “city‐in‐a‐garden”. Designing for safety is recognized by researchers and some governments as a best practice in facilitating eventual worker safety within the built environment. The purpose of undertaking this research was to understand and describe the status of safe design for skyrise greenery in Singapore.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 41 rooftop and vertical greenery systems were observed with a focus on access, fall from height, and planting considerations.

Findings

Rooftop greenery systems in Singapore were found to be adhering to safe design principles. Vertical and ledge greenery systems, on the other hand, are newer arrangements and were found to be in need of design for safety guidance.

Originality/value

The results add to the body of knowledge in the area of safe design and skyrise greenery and will aid those seeking to understand from a policy and practice perspective.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Parveen Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Vaibhav Aggarwal

This study aims to examine the determinants of adoption intention toward the rooftop solar photovoltaic (RSPV) systems among residents of peri-urban villages of Gurugram, Haryana…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the determinants of adoption intention toward the rooftop solar photovoltaic (RSPV) systems among residents of peri-urban villages of Gurugram, Haryana, India. This study also analyzes the impact of the adoption of RSPV systems on carbon neutrality from a behavioral perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected using a self-administrated structured questionnaire from 208 male villagers (195 usable) of 22 villages using the purposive sampling technique.

Findings

Results revealed that relative advantage, followed by simplicity, trialability, observability and compatibility, positively and significantly impact villagers’ attitude toward adopting RSPV systems in their homes. Perceived severity and perceived vulnerability significantly influence the perceived behavioral control of villagers toward adopting the RSPV systems. The results show villagers’ attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are the essential predictors of their adoption intention of the RSPV systems. Most notably, carbon neutrality was significantly affected by villagers’ adoption intention of RSPV systems as the renewable energy source in their homes.

Originality/value

The findings of this study provide that innovation attributes are important factors in shaping the adoption intentions of customers toward RSPV systems. This study is also the extent of previous studies measuring customers’ perception of adopting renewable energy in developed and emerging countries worldwide.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2008

Priya Gopalen and Barry Pinsky

HIV and AIDS is an urgent housing and human settlements issue, especially among women and children living in poverty and suffering from poor housing conditions in urban slums in…

Abstract

HIV and AIDS is an urgent housing and human settlements issue, especially among women and children living in poverty and suffering from poor housing conditions in urban slums in the South. The link between poverty and HIV prevalence is well established, and the fact that inadequate shelter increases the vulnerability of the urban poor to HIV and AIDS is increasingly recognised. Since 2003, Rooftops Canada and their partners in Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and more recently Uganda, have been working on strategies and developing programmes to respond to the AIDS crisis in these countries. Related programmes link shelter to poverty reduction through sustainable economic and social development, environmental protection, respect for human rights, democratisation and gender equality.

This paper compiles the experiences of the partner housing organisations and resource groups in Sub-Saharan Africa responding to HIV and AIDS among their constituent stakeholders. The community-based responses focus on promoting social sustainability, enhancing operational capacity and improving financial sustainability. Community-based responses relate to issues of stigma and discrimination, reducing the impact of housing rights violations and responding to the specific vulnerability of children, women and youth. Social sustainability deals with the impact of HIV and AIDS on the social viability of communities. Operational capacity analyses housing groups' responses to the organ-isational impact of HIV and AIDS - including loss of staff, leadership and institutional memory, decreased productivity and capacity - and the experience of including HIV and AIDS within the core organisational mandate. Financial sustainability explores the challenges of reconciling related financial and social goals.

Details

Open House International, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

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