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1 – 10 of 693Zihan Wang, Jing Shuai, Zhihui Leng, Chuanmin Shuai and Zhiyao Shi
Through empirical analysis of Sino-US solar photovoltaic (PV) trade, this paper aims to evaluate the complementarity of Sino-US solar PV trade by adopting trade combination degree…
Abstract
Purpose
Through empirical analysis of Sino-US solar photovoltaic (PV) trade, this paper aims to evaluate the complementarity of Sino-US solar PV trade by adopting trade combination degree (TCD) index, export similarity index (SI) and trade complementarity index (TCI). It also explores the role of trade disputes over Sino-US solar PV trade between China and the USA and important factors affecting the complementarity of the trade.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the comparative advantage theory, this paper selects the TCD, export SI and TCI to evaluate the complementarity of Sino-US solar PV trade comprehensively. Among them, TCD and SI can directly reflect the degree of cooperation and competition of Sino-US solar PV trade. Finally, the authors further analyze the decisive factors affecting the complementarity of Sino-US PV trade by entropy weight method and multiple linear regression analysis on the influencing factors of TCI.
Findings
The solar PV trade between China and the USA still has a close relationship, and there is solar PV trade cooperation and competition between the two countries. The factors affecting the complementarity of Sino-US solar PV trade are mainly exchange rate levels rather than trade disputes between China and the USA. The solar PV trade policies of China and the USA will have a great negative impact on the global supply chain of solar PV products. The major solar PV products in China and the USA have a clear division in the global supply chain and still have a strong trade complementarity.
Originality/value
This paper conducts an empirical analysis of the Sino-US solar PV trade rather than a policy discussion. This research has important practical significance for the healthy and sustainable development of solar PV trade for both countries. It can also provide references to the current trade disputes between China and the USA in a broader sense.
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With the growing acceptance of renewable energy sources in the world, new energy sources are pursued and investigated by customers. In India, residential PV technology is in an…
Abstract
Purpose
With the growing acceptance of renewable energy sources in the world, new energy sources are pursued and investigated by customers. In India, residential PV technology is in an early stage of development and very less in demand among households. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the major variables and its impact on customers purchase intention towards solar PV technology, especially in the context of central India.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on literature reviews, this study identifies six major independent variables having a relationship with purchase intentions. Using convenience sampling method, 413 customers’ data has been collected by the researcher and was investigated through structural equation modelling, using SmartPLS 2.0 and SPSS-20 software.
Findings
The study findings suggested that the construct promotional strategies, societal influence, customer awareness and government initiative plays an important role in generating customers purchase intention towards solar PV technology. While the constructs environmental concern and availability & cost having relationship, showed insignificant influence.
Research limitations/implications
The study outcomes provide some valuable insights to the government and policymakers in designing their policies and strategies to increase customer involvement in solar PV technology. This study suggested that the service providers need to offer more benefits in the form of subsidies and schemes that motivate customers to willingly show their purchase intention.
Originality/value
The major contribution of this study is the empirical analysis of six independent variables, which affects the customer purchase intentions towards solar PV technology over available conventional energy sources in an emerging Indian market.
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Green entrepreneurs driven by environmental concerns stand at the heart of greening the economic activities right from their inception. This study aims to conceptualize this…
Abstract
Purpose
Green entrepreneurs driven by environmental concerns stand at the heart of greening the economic activities right from their inception. This study aims to conceptualize this emerging concept in the context of developing nations by identifying the factors that shape the green entrepreneurship ecosystem with special reference to the solar energy sector in Gujarat.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is exploratory in nature and relies on secondary literature available on green entrepreneurship. Case study approach has been used for which primary data has been collected by formal scheduled interviews of three green entrepreneurs operating in the renewable energy sector of Gujarat, India. Cross-case analysis has been taken up to analyze the findings.
Findings
This study offers valuable insights into the major motivations and barriers as well as policy suggestions to foster an environment of green entrepreneurship, particularly in the renewable energy sector of India.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the chosen approach wherein only three case studies have been considered of green entrepreneurs operating in the renewable energy sector of Gujarat, the results cannot be generalized, as they are also sector specific. Further researches can take up more quantitative approaches to make the results generalizable and extend them to other sectors.
Practical implications
Exploring the opportunities and challenges of green entrepreneurship in renewable energy sector has significant sector specific policy implications for developing countries like India.
Originality/value
Green entrepreneurship’ is a relevant but under-researched topic, especially in the developing nations’ context. This study adds to the literature by making a sector specific analysis of green entrepreneurs in renewable energy sector of Gujarat.
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Yiru Zha and Jiawei Jin
This study aims to investigate how environmentalism in photovoltaic (PV) substitution and nationalism in PV rivalry with the USA are associated with the trade-offs made by young…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how environmentalism in photovoltaic (PV) substitution and nationalism in PV rivalry with the USA are associated with the trade-offs made by young consumers in Lanzhou when selecting Chinese brand portable solar power banks.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the choice-based conjoint survey was conducted to investigate mobile power bank consumers aged 18–28 in Lanzhou urban districts. A total of 2,004 valid questionnaires were collected and 1,813 sample was used in analyses. Logit and ordinary least squares regression models were run for empirical analyses.
Findings
The research results show that consumers tend to sacrifice certain levels of affordability for moderate technological capability, a reputable brand, better portability and advanced charging functions or sacrifice certain levels of technological capabilities for a moderate price. Consumers with stronger environmentalism in PV substitution tend to prioritize median price levels, larger battery capacity and better portability, while being less sensitive to brand and showing less preference for advanced charging functions. Consumers with stronger nationalism in PV rivalry tend to prioritize reasonably higher prices, bigger brands, enhanced portability, more solar panels and advanced charging functions.
Practical implications
This research sheds light on consumer trade-offs between price, brand, portability, technological capability and charging function. It also explores how environmentalism and nationalism sentiments are associated with consumer decision-making. These insights carry valuable policy implications for fostering product innovation, supporting brand-building initiatives for small and medium-size enterprises, promoting market competition and preventing the weaponization of consumer nationalism.
Originality/value
As an emerging solar power product, the portable solar power bank holds significant potential for widespread adoption as a means to drive energy transition. Within the current context, two notable sentiments have surfaced: environmentalism, which pertains to the adoption of PV technology as a substitute for conventional energy sources and nationalism, which manifests in the PV rivalry between China and the USA. This research aims to investigate consumer preference related to this emerging product, specifically focusing on its relationship with these two sentiments.
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Emmanuel Ndzibah, Giovanna Andrea Pinilla-De La Cruz and Ahm Shamsuzzoha
The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for handling end of life (henceforth EoL) scenarios of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels, which includes…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for handling end of life (henceforth EoL) scenarios of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels, which includes different options available to businesses and end-users, as well as promoting the collaboration between government and all relevant stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts purposeful sampling, secondary data and content analysis to develop an appropriate conceptual framework that helps to create awareness of the appropriate options for dealing with the EoL cases of solar PV panels.
Findings
From the data analysis, it is revealed that reuse, repair and recycling of solar PV panels can ensure value creation, public-private partnership and a solution for education in sustainability, and thus, prolonging the useful life cycle of the products.
Research limitations/implications
This paper limits the analysis on developing economies and the use of selected literature based on the recycling of solar PV panels.
Originality/value
This paper is an initial attempt to create an awareness by identifying, analyzing and educating the stakeholders to handle appropriately any EoL scenario of solar PV panels.
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Bilal Mukhtar, Muhammad Kashif Shad, Lai Fong Woon and Salaheldin Hamad
This study aims to propose a conceptual framework to examine the impact of risk management implementation on green innovation in the Malaysian solar photovoltaic (PV…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose a conceptual framework to examine the impact of risk management implementation on green innovation in the Malaysian solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on primary data to be collected from 30 Malaysian solar PV manufacturing companies through a questionnaire that incorporates the five-point Likert scale. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is proposed to be performed using SPSS 24.0 and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is suggested to be conducted using AMOS.21 software to explore the factors and reliability of the items and to confirm the factorial structure of risk management implementation and green innovation. Furthermore, partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is proposed to investigate relationships between constructs and latent variables.
Findings
The proposed framework is based on the stakeholder's theory and suggests that the comprehensive implementation of risk management has a significant and positive impact on green innovation in the Malaysian solar PV manufacturing industry.
Practical implications
This study provides insight into formulating strategies for enhancing green innovation in the solar PV manufacturing sector and serves as a valuable resource for stakeholders.
Originality/value
The significance of the proposed conceptual framework lies in its ability to enhance the workability of the stakeholder's theory and to create value for stakeholders through the implementation of risk management to drive green innovation. This study adds to the existing literature by exploring the relationship between risk management and green innovation in the solar PV manufacturing industry.
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Over the past decades, the global solar photovoltaic (PV) market has experienced an unprecedented development associated with a substantial decline in solar PV module prices. A…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the past decades, the global solar photovoltaic (PV) market has experienced an unprecedented development associated with a substantial decline in solar PV module prices. A body of literature has attempted to identify and evaluate the different sources of price variation. However, the impact of international trade on the price of solar PV modules has not yet been empirically examined. This paper contributes to filling this gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive empirical examination on the relationship between international trade and solar PV module prices.
Design/methodology/approach
The author uses a sample of 15 countries over the period 2006–2015 and proposes a linear dynamic panel data model based on a new specification, including a number of relevant factors influencing solar PV module prices.
Findings
The empirical analysis reveals that an increase in imports of solar PV cells and modules is associated with a decline in solar PV module prices. This finding suggests that international trade could lead to further price reductions, thus fostering the deployment of solar PV technology. The study reveals several other important findings. Market and technological development are key factors explaining the decline in solar PV module prices. Moreover, government policies such as public budget for R&D in PV and feed-in tariff for solar PV are effective in reducing the price of solar PV modules.
Originality/value
This paper examines the influence of international trade, government policies, market development and technological development on solar PV module prices. The results may be of interest to both academic research and policy analysis.
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Ben Charters and Troy Heffernan
This paper addresses the current lack of solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption by Australian apartment dwellers by proposing a conceptual model that identifies and integrates the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper addresses the current lack of solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption by Australian apartment dwellers by proposing a conceptual model that identifies and integrates the factors influencing owners' attitudes towards PV adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual model, which this paper terms the apartment-based solar adoption (ASA) model, is developed by applying motivation–opportunity–ability (MOA) theory to relevant findings in property development, green energy and strata governance literature.
Findings
The ASA model demonstrates the process by which an apartment-owning consumer may progress from considering solar PV adoption to recommending the action to their strata property's Owners' Committee (OC). It incorporates three motivational drivers (pragmatic considerations, perceived values and perceived social norms), three conditional mediators (location accessibility, resource availability and decision-making conditions) and three requirements from the consumer (actual and perceived knowledge, the ability to participate in decision-making and social connections and status).
Research limitations/implications
This article contributes originality to research on two counts. Firstly, it provides a conceptual framework of specific relevance to issues concerning solar PV adoption, and secondly, it offers a systematic means for research into strata governance decision-making. Further research is required to develop the means with which to utilise the model prescriptively and measure longitudinal effects, such as ongoing trends in apartment owners' motivations. Further research is also recommended into how the ASA model may be utilised to identify generalisable consumer typologies among apartment owners.
Practical implications
The ASA model may assist building maintenance providers in developing and marketing solar PV services tailored to apartment residents' requirements and enhance strata managers' ability to inform and guide apartment owners. In turn, property developers would be able to review apartment-based solar projects, measure their increased value and decreased energy costs and incorporate this information when planning future developments.
Social implications
The ASA model may provide a template for apartment owners and owners' corporations considering solar PV for their property. Public policymakers could also refer to the model to incentivise apartment-based solar PV adoption, whether through designing local information campaigns, developing financial incentives or mitigating identified regulatory barriers. By facilitating solar PV adoption in Australian apartment housing, the model may ensure sustainable post-carbon energy consumption for Australia's housing stock and act as an example for high-density housing development internationally.
Originality/value
The ASA model addresses the many drivers and barriers known to affect solar PV adoption by apartment owners, presenting a framework on which to arrange these factors and outline their causal relationships. This framework may inform strata properties' future solar PV adoption initiatives by incorporating their specific physical characteristics, stakeholder dynamics and institutional structure. It also consolidates and provides generalisability to the concepts established in current literature.
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Arshiya Fathima M.S., Adil Khan and Ansari Sarwar Alam
This study aims to conduct the domain mapping of consumer behaviour research in the context of solar energy. The study can help in understanding the intellectual structure…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to conduct the domain mapping of consumer behaviour research in the context of solar energy. The study can help in understanding the intellectual structure, evolution of keywords and key research producers (at the author, institutional and source level) related to the domain of solar energy consumer research.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses R-studios’ bibliometrix package for analysing the bibliographical data collected from the Scopus database. Analysis has been conducted at the descriptive level (summary, author, institution and source) and analytical level (co-citation analysis, co-occurrence analysis, thematic maps and historiography).
Findings
This study finds out the most relevant authors, institutions and sources using criteria such as production, citations and H-index. Relevant research clusters have been identified using the clustering of authors, co-citations and keywords. Thematic mapping has identified the basic and motor themes. Historical citation analysis shows the direct linkage of previous studies. Overall, this study reports the most relevant bibliometric indicators in the domain of solar energy consumer research.
Practical implications
Identified patterns can help policymakers, business experts, social marketers and energy conservation organisations to study consumer behaviour.
Social implications
Thiis bibliometric study can effectively assess sustainable development goals and suggest improved action plans.
Originality/value
This study examined bibliometric analysis in solar energy products (SEPs), recognised varied domains of research work on consumers’ intention to purchase solar household products and mapped them into six groups. This study provides an overview of 40 years of research on consumer behaviour towards SEPs and discusses its findings to identify the research gap.
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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…
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.
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