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Adoption of energy-efficient technologies in German SMEs of the horticultural sector—the moderating role of personal and social factors

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Abstract

Many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could enhance energy efficiency and profits by investing in energy-efficient technology. Previous studies have identified various adoption factors and barriers related to energy-efficient technology. In our study, we understand the adoption of technology as a social process and put the decision-making manager in the focus of our research. Therefore, a manager’s attitude, the social environments, and possible adoption barriers are factors in the developed adoption model, which is tested empirically by using structural equation modeling and a dataset gained from a survey of energy-intensive horticultural companies in Germany. Thus, we do not regard self-reported technology adoption by managers, but use on-site observations in companies’ production processes to calculate the energy efficiency of the company. The results show the significant influence of a manager’s attitude and social environment on intention to adopt energy-efficient technology. However, there is no evidence for a correlation between the intended and real adoption of technology. This finding clearly discloses the gap between intention and behavior, which we explain based on external and internal obstacles. Altogether, the results stress the importance of personal and social factors in the adoption process of energy-efficient technology in SMEs of the horticultural sector.

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Notes

  1. For instance, 90.5 % of Germany’s energy-intensive companies (energy consumption at least 3 % of the gross production value) are SMEs (Schmitz and May-Strobl 2012).

  2. The control of heating, ventilation, energy screen, irrigation, and lighting in greenhouses is generally carried out by automated control systems. Through the use of central climate computers, the various control loops are linked and coordinated, so that crop-specific production conditions can be generated in the greenhouse. The use of climate computers has proven to be energy-efficient, since a targeted energy-saving climate strategy can be selected by the automated control system, which saves up to 40 % energy (Lange et al. 2002; Haas et al. 2010).

  3. Energy screens are mounted on roof-side webs, which may be manufactured from different plastics and improve the insulation of the greenhouse cover. By using energy screens, energy savings of up to 60 % can be achieved in horticulture (Lange et al. 2002; Frohner et al. 2010).

  4. Employees in the company AM = 3.36 (s = 1.11); family AM = 3.62 (s = 0.94); colleagues of the industrial sector AM = 3.50 (s = 0.86).

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Acknowledgments

The research for this paper was financially supported by the Research Cooperation “Energy Efficient Technologies and Applications” of the Bavarian State Ministry of Sciences, Research, and the Arts.

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  1. Straubing Center of Science, Marketing and Management of Biogenic Resources, Schulgasse 16, 94315, Straubing, Germany

    Manuel Hertel & Klaus Menrad

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Hertel, M., Menrad, K. Adoption of energy-efficient technologies in German SMEs of the horticultural sector—the moderating role of personal and social factors. Energy Efficiency 9, 791–806 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-015-9400-0

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