Creating Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Awareness

Abstract

This paper presents the outcomes of the collaborative project "Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Development in Sibiu County," conducted jointly by Sibiu County, Romania, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (LBUS), Romania, and the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN). The paper presents an awareness campaign targeting citizens and schools to foster understanding and adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency practices. Emphasizing the importance of smart energy solutions, the paper introduces the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a framework for understanding user acceptance of new technologies. The awareness campaign utilized offline and online channels, with an estimated reach of 150.000 citizens, while engaging educational institutions to cultivate sustainability awareness from an early age. The paper also discusses the development of an environmental protection course for university students. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis highlights the campaign's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The paper also discusses challenges met when running energy awareness campaigns. The paper underscores the significance of behavior change in achieving sustainable energy goals.