Public acceptance of renewable energy and Smart-Grid in Saudi Arabia

This study aims to measure the public´s knowledge about renewable energy sources, their willingness to use solar energy as a main source in their households, and to understand their main motivation in undergoing (or not) such an energy shift; hence, potential influencing factors that will help win public support can be determined. A survey is tailored in order to capture relevant public belief, perception, and planned behavior, then a descriptive analysis of the data is performed to examine the associations between the willingness to use solar panels in households and the other explanatory variables. Initial results show that government policies and subsidies are main factors affecting the desire to adopt green energy. These results will help overcome obstacles that might be faced prior or during a transition to the Smart-Grid, especially in residential area.