A survey of social acceptance in using renewable energy sources for the new millennium

A Delphi study was conducted to determine the social acceptance level and p roblems in the utilisation of renewable energy sources for different end-us es. The Delphi questionnaire was prepared for solar, wind and biomass energ y applications, considering economical, technological, social and environme ntal factors. The questionnaire was sent to Various participants such as ac ademicians, industrialists, scientists, policy makers and other users. The responses were analysed using mean, standard deviation, confidence, skewnes s and rank correlation techniques. Stability and consensus analysis were co nducted on the Delphi results, and it was found that in 97.9% of the cases there was consensus, and in 100% of the cases there was group stability, wh ile in 95% of the cases there was individual stability. The study revealed that the percentage energy distribution for solar, wind, biomass and commer cial energy sources are expected to be 7.12%, 7.9%, 10.49% and 74.49%, resp ectively, by the year 2020. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.