Browsing by Author "Neame, Charles"
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Item Open Access Consumer Attitudes Towards Domestic Solar Power Systems(Elsevier, 2006-09) Faiers, Adam; Neame, CharlesThe success of the UK policy to reduce carbon emissions is partly dependent on the ability to persuade householders to become more energy efficient, and to encourage installation of domestic solar systems. Solar power is an innovation in the UK but the current policy of stimulating the market with grants is not resulting in widespread adoption. This case study, using householders in central England, investigates householder attitudes towards characteristics of solar systems and identifies some of the barriers to adoption. The study utilises Diffusion of Innovations theory to identify attitudes towards system attributes, and isolates the characteristics that are preventing a pragmatic ‘early majority’ from adopting the technology. A group of ‘early adopters’, and a group of assumed ‘early majority’ adopters of solar power were surveyed and the results show that overall, although the ‘early majority’ demonstrate a positive perception of the environmental characteristics of solar power, its financial, economic and aesthetic characteristics are limiting adoption. Differences exist between the two groups showing support for the concept of a ‘chasm’ between adopter categories after Moore (Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-tech Products to Mainstream Customers, second ed. Harper Perennial, New York). However, if consumers cannot identify the relative advantage of solar power over their current sources of power, which is supplied readily and cheaply through a mains system, it is unlikely that adoption will follow. Recommendations concerning the marketing and development of solar products are identified.Item Open Access Exploring the effectiveness of ISO 14001 in local authorities(2004-07) Campbell, Marion; Neame, CharlesIn this study the effectiveness of the implementation of ISO 14001 by Local Authorities is explored, as are the factors that hinder and/or further implementation of the standard. These include the motivations for applying the standard, its strengths and weaknesses and the consistency of it use. The research was undertaken using interviews both of key informants in a variety of councils and of those in a detailed case study of Bedfordshire County Council. The research suggests that consistency of application between different councils was poor and the motivations were mainly environmentally based, and its strengths and weaknesses, although varied, had few consistent factors as perceived by the respondents. The main strengths of ISO 14001 included flexibility and the demand for continual improvement, and its main weaknesses being the opportunity that flexibility provides for abuse of the standard.Item Open Access Strengthening the local rural economy: promoting the sustainability of rural business in Bedfordshire(2002-09-25) Reeves, A. J.; Neame, CharlesThis research was undertaken for Bedfordshire County Council to investigate appropriate mechanisms for the promotion of sustainable rural business in Bedfordshire. The research seeks to provide insights into the future requirements of small rural businesses in Bedfordshire and to build upon the support that Bedfordshire County Council currently provides to ‘local producers’ through the ‘Made in Beds Directory’. A user-friendly postal questionnaire was targeted to businesses in Bedfordshire with a rural postcode, with 25 or fewer employees and regardless of their business activity. The survey covered: the strengths and weaknesses of the businesses; the perceived importance of those strengths and weaknesses; the barriers to improving business performance; and appropriate support provisions to enhance business performance. These were previously identified in the literature and policy review, corroborated and augmented in a pilot study. The results were varied, illustrating the highly individual nature of the businesses and their perceived requirements. The businesses identified their strengths as: technical expertise; financial management; ability to innovate; compliance with legislation and the location of the business and weaknesses were identified as: marketing and promotional ability; training provision; I.T.; product development and logistics. The perceived barriers to improved business performance identified and future support provision requirements, resulted in the provision of valid insights into the rural businesses. The wide scope of the research meant that despite not fully achieving the objectives, it provided useful insights enabling a series of informed conclusions. The principle recommendations were: • Support should be directed at the agricultural sector; • Support should address the principal areas of weaknesses: marketing and promotional activities; training provision; I.T.; product development. • Support is directed at overcoming the perceived barriers to improving business performance, namely: lack of management time; lack of staff skills; lack of marketing and promotional ability; access to finance; coping with competitors. Further exploratory research should be carried out into: methods for developing the strengths of rural companies and providing strategies for sustainable competitive advantage for the businesses; the types of staff training which rural businesses would participate in to enhance staff skills; Increased promotion and signposting to free local business resources available; Promotion of the benefits of addressing environmental issues in the business decision-making and the provision of free or subsidised membership of the Bedfordshire Green Business Network to businesses with rural Bedfordshire postcodes; BCC to establish a panel of businesses for the purpose of implementing the recommendations on an experimental basis. Over a period of time the panel would provide useful additional data and experiences, which could inform future support strategies for sustainable rural businesses. The use of a pilot panel would allow for the appropriateness of support measures to be assessed prior to implementation thus reducing the risk of inappropriate use of public funding and adverse public opinion.Item Open Access Understanding the adoption of solar power technologies in the UK domestic sector(Cranfield University, 2009-05) Faiers, Adam; Neame, Charles; Cook, MatthewThe aim of this thesis was to provide new insights into the adoption of solar power technologies. Policy has identified solar technologies capable of providing domestic carbon reductions but limitations such as high capital costs and poor productivity are preventing widespread adoption. The research problem was that neither the attitudes of householders to the technology, nor their adoption decision processes had previously been investigated. If these could be understood, policy interventions might be more effective. This research presents previously unseen adoption curves for solar power systems, which by volume are less significant than conventional energy efficiency technologies, but the ‘S’ curve shows a rate of adoption similar to insulation and boiler systems. In addition, this research presents a comprehensive set of constructs that householders use as heuristics in their decision making process. These constructs were used in a survey of householders that showed both innovative and pragmatic tendencies in order to gain insight to their attitudes towards the systems. The results of this survey highlighted that adopters are mostly positive to solar power systems, especially the environmental aspects. However, on aesthetic, operational and financial issues, the responses indicated less positive attitudes by the ‘pragmatic’ majority. The survey confirmed the presence of a previously theorised ‘chasm’ that demonstrated significant differences between earlier and later adopters. This highlighted seven aspects of the technology that developers should consider, and also a difference in the decision making process followed by the two sets of adopters. Policy insights are discussed in relation to this.