Intermediation services and adopter expectations and demands during the implementation of renewable electricity innovation – Match or mismatch?
Journal article, 2019

To limit the irreversible consequences of global warming, it is crucial that new actors adopt renewable electricity technologies. This type of innovation is, however, complex to implement, which is the reason adopters often contract with intermediaries for support services, e.g., project developers or installers. Previous studies have underlined that it is difficult for intermediaries to provide services that fully satisfy different types of adopters. Contributing to the previous research on customer satisfaction of services and innovation intermediaries, this article identifies adopters’ expectations when adopting photovoltaic technology and analyzes whether such expectations match with the services provided by intermediaries. A cross-case analysis of photovoltaic projects was performed. Results underline that motives and driving forces for adopting the technology influences how adopters select intermediaries as well as what they expect from the services provided by intermediaries. The study finally contributes with some recommendations for intermediary organizations that want to improve and adapt their services to match their clients’ expectations and demands.

Technology implementation

Solar PV

Intermediaries

Renewable electricity technologies

Service satisfaction

Adopters

Author

Joakim Aspeteg

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Environmental Systems Analysis

Ingrid Johansson Mignon

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Innovation and R&D Management

Journal of Cleaner Production

0959-6526 (ISSN)

Vol. 214 837-847

Subject Categories

Business Administration

Other Civil Engineering

Information Systemes, Social aspects

DOI

10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.034

More information

Latest update

2/4/2019 9