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ID:
118945
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Despite the fact that Japan is an earthquake-prone country and Japanese people are known to be highly risk averse, less than half of Japanese households are insured against earthquake risk. Based on a survey among experts in the field, the article gives an overview of earthquake insurance schemes and evaluates possible reasons for the relatively low level of insurance and ways for improvement. Experts agree that more insurance is desirable, but they share a less clear opinion about the causes and possible remedies. More research is warranted.
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| 2 |
ID:
150769
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| Summary/Abstract |
The replacement of outdated and inefficient fossil fuel residential heating systems (RHS) by more efficient and less CO2-intensive appliances primarily based on renewable energy sources is an important pillar for the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. This paper empirically investigates drivers and barriers behind homeowners' decisions to switch from a fossil fuel to a renewable RHS in Germany. For this purpose, we draw on data from a 2010 questionnaire survey among owners of existing single-family and duplex houses in Germany that had received a financial grant to install an RHS (i.e. condensing boiler with solar thermal support, heat pump or wood pellet boiler). We show that environmental protection, a lower dependency on fossil fuels, and a higher degree of RHS-related knowledge are key drivers. In contrast, the perceived difficulty of getting used to the system and a misunderstanding of its principal functioning are obstacles for the heat pump. For the wood pellet boiler, perceived barriers include the low usability, the labor-intensive operation, and the systems' fault liability. Hence, a higher replacement rate requires the willingness to relinquish old habits and perceptions of how an RHS works and operates.
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