Social impact assessment of energy technologies focusing on "psychological proximity"

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25340120
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Design and evaluation of sustainable and environmental conscious system
• Research Institution: Yokohama National University
• Principal Investigator: Hondo Hiroki 横浜国立大学, 環境情報研究科(研究院), 教授 (90371210)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 再生可能エネルギー / 太陽光発電 / 心理的近接性 / 見える化 / 省エネルギー / 省エネ行動 / もったいない

Outline of Final Research Achievements

One of the characteristics of renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power generation is that these technologies allow small-scale, on-site power generation. These technologies have potential for changing people’s views of energy and the environment and enhancing their pro-environmental behavior when these technologies are always visible in daily life. The present study newly defined the concept “psychological proximity” which means a positive feeling such as attachment and familiarity to energy technologies, and found the possibility that the visible existence of PV systems in daily life increases psychological proximity to PV systems and as a result encourage pro-environmental behavior.

Free Research Field

エネルギー技術評価