Relevant Attributes of Renewable Energy Development in the Case of Romanian Households

Abstract The green certificate support mechanism has been associated with a significant increase of electricity retail prices in Romania. Given the growing public awareness and concern regarding this topic, we seek to assess the willingness to pay of Romanian household consumers for the continued development of renewable energy through a choice modeling study. As part of the larger research project, this paper aims to determine which positive attributes of renewable energy development are relevant to these consumers. We combine a qualitative and a quantitative analysis of the results from a survey of 62 Romanian academics from the fields of energy and environmental science with a review of existing literature on the topic. The results are adapted to suit the specific context of the Romanian electricity retail market. We define four benefits of renewable energy development that are expected to be relevant for Romanian household consumers.