The State of Knowledge and Attitudes of the Inhabitants of the Polish Świętokrzyskie Province about Renewable Energy Sources

Abstract

One of the ways to achieve an energy transformation is to reduce environmental degradation through the use of, among other things, renewable energy sources (RES). The widespread use of RES depends not only on economic and technical aspects, but also on societal acceptance. The aim of this research was to find out the attitudes and the state of knowledge of residents of Świętokrzyskie province regarding RES. This aim was further specified through five research questions. The research used a diagnostic survey method, and respondents’ opinions were gathered through an author’s survey. This survey included open-ended questions on solar energy (solar panels and photovoltaic panels separately), wind power, hydropower, geothermal energy (ground source heat pump and other sources separately), biomass and biogas. The research sample was selected based on data availability. Econometric modeling was used to analyze the results. The freedom in responding allowed for the exploration of a wide range of respondents’ opinions. The results confirmed the positive attitude of residents towards RES and the influence of education level on their self-assessment. Residents of Świętokrzyskie province, in comparison to residents of Poland, stand out for their high level of acceptance of the use of hydropower in their neighborhood. The opinions of the residents of Świętokrzyskie province on the impact of wind power and heat pumps on the environment did not align with the opinions of the residents of Poland.