7. Discussion and conclusions
Three indicators, namely knowledge, perception, and fear, were selected as relevant to the purposes of this study. In the future depending on the specific area under consideration and the specific technologies of interest, other social indicators could be assessed using the same framework. This study was carried out ex ante. The same study could be repeated ex post to measure changes in knowledge, perception, and fear, if and after the technologies are implemented.
The scope of this study does not allow us to draw any generalisations that go beyond some observations specific to the respondents. The results imply that it is not easy for respondents to engage in basic discussions about future energy technologies. One possible explanation is the low level of information and knowledge possessed by the respondents. Such lack of knowledge has the potential to discourage participation in discussions and decisions about prioritising future technologies and on which technologies public funds should be spent.
We observed that the respondents were positive toward new energy technologies in general. When it came to specific technologies, however, their preferences remained with established technologies.
The respondents were more comfortable answering questions about health, safety, and well-being than questions related to the environment and the economy.
The respondents’ low level of knowledge regarding the new technology chains renders the reliability of some of the information collected questionable. This is especially true in the ranking of technology chains, which appeared to be the most difficult part of the questionnaire for a significant number of respondents. This difficulty is expressed in additional comments from the respondents, such as: ‘‘It is rather difficult to respond to questions regarding things that one is not familiar with. I consider my self as a well-informed person. But still I have never heard of these things.’’
This and similar comments indicates a need for decision makers and technology developers to reach out to the public with information about new technologies and to listen to the public.
Some explanatory comments were obtained from respondents who did not return a completed questionnaire after the first reminder, but instead responded to a question