Customer Perception of Guarantees of Origin in District Heating
Sacomano Martins, Tales (2023)
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023053015831
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023053015831
Tiivistelmä
This thesis aims to demonstrate the current perception of Guarantees of Origin in District Heating. This was accomplished by employing qualitative research in the form of interviews with a sample group of young adults in Oulu, aged 20-25, as well as utilizing academic research papers to establish a knowledge base on the subject. This thesis was commissioned by Oulun Energia, a Finnish energy company based in the city of Oulu.
The research investigated the opinions and knowledge of ten participants by asking them four questions related to renewable energy and heating production, each of which was designed to prompt subjects to discuss different aspects of the topic. The first question established their opinion on companies that utilize renewable energy in their operations. Afterwards, participants were asked who was responsible for heating their home. The third question, which served to further the previous point, asked participants to share if they knew whether their provider was sourcing heat in a sustainable manner. Lastly, subjects were asked to discuss how they would validate any possible claims of sustainability.
The interviews allowed participants to share their points of view on the topics present within the four questions, and by analyzing the resulting data with a thematic approach, commonalities and divergences among their responses were observed and utilized to create a conclusion regarding the perception of this sample group, which was then extrapolated to a larger slice of the population, which is young adults in Oulu.
In summary, this study adds to the current body of knowledge regarding Guarantees of origin by providing research on the current level of perception that a slice of the population has on the topic. By utilizing a qualitative, thematic approach to interviews, as well as academic sources to create a knowledge base on Guarantees of Origin, this thesis may be utilized by companies who wish to understand what their customers might currently know about specific services or environmentally friendly practices.
The research investigated the opinions and knowledge of ten participants by asking them four questions related to renewable energy and heating production, each of which was designed to prompt subjects to discuss different aspects of the topic. The first question established their opinion on companies that utilize renewable energy in their operations. Afterwards, participants were asked who was responsible for heating their home. The third question, which served to further the previous point, asked participants to share if they knew whether their provider was sourcing heat in a sustainable manner. Lastly, subjects were asked to discuss how they would validate any possible claims of sustainability.
The interviews allowed participants to share their points of view on the topics present within the four questions, and by analyzing the resulting data with a thematic approach, commonalities and divergences among their responses were observed and utilized to create a conclusion regarding the perception of this sample group, which was then extrapolated to a larger slice of the population, which is young adults in Oulu.
In summary, this study adds to the current body of knowledge regarding Guarantees of origin by providing research on the current level of perception that a slice of the population has on the topic. By utilizing a qualitative, thematic approach to interviews, as well as academic sources to create a knowledge base on Guarantees of Origin, this thesis may be utilized by companies who wish to understand what their customers might currently know about specific services or environmentally friendly practices.