FOSTEr in MED project

A survey to enquire about citizens perception and knowledge on solar technologies

What do Lebanese citizens know about the sources of electric energy that are currently used in their country? What is peoples perception about the solar energy and in particular the photovoltaic technologies? Are they perceived as too expensive? Is their installation acceptable in all urban environments? Who can give any Lebanese citizen or entrepreneur information about PV panels and their efficiency?

To answer such questions, the EU funded project FOSTEr in MED conducted a survey that is the final step in the its context analysis activity.
Pollster Marion Schnorf who conducted the survey was trained in Cagliari in order to conduct the activities in their local context. “We are now in the process in of ? analysing the answers of major stakeholders who were interrogated . This valuable information will guide us through the process of introducing innovative technologies in a country like Lebanon where the sun can be a valuable source of energy and a solution to many pending problems related to electricity and energy consumption.

Professor Elisabetta Strazzera, the coordinator of the activity comments: We have built a skilled researchskilled research team, which has developed a valuable expertise that can help them undertake similar projects in the future. On another front, the social acceptability of technologies is an issue that should not be neglected in programs aimed at spreading environment friendly innovations, at both macro and micro levels. We are using advanced tools from the social and economic disciplines to understand pros and cons that people associate with the development of residential PV technologies in Mediterranean countries, so that indications can enhance drivers and smooth out barriers”.
The preliminary desk analysis had revealed several critical issues common to all the Mediterranean countries involved in FOSTEr in MED project, including: an increase in residential electricity consumption; an increase in the air conditioning and heat pumps diffusion, mainly to cool buildings in the summer period; economic and management problems due to the fossil fuel dependence; an increasing cost of electricity; critical issues in the promotion field (information, knowledge, awareness, etc.).
Based on the information collected during the context analysis the In Depth Interviews phase has been carried out. The main objectives of this phase are: to obtain qualitative information and knowledge in order to supplement the desk analysis results; to provide elements to support the selection of contents that help design the questionnaire that will be administered to the general population.
The Survey Administration phase is still ongoing. All the results will be conveyed through the Context Analysis Report, that is meant to be one of the main outputs of the project and the starting point for next projects activities. More important, the recommendations derived from the Context Analysis will guide the awareness rising activities scheduled in the upcoming months and involving school students, citizens and local administrators. The activity will be coordinated by Autonomous Region of Sardinia, partner of the project.
Parallel to the Context Analysis activity, the project provides a Technical Scientific Committee (TSC) coordinated by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture of University of Cagliari. The TSC has elaborated one of the main outputs of the project: the Guidelines on solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies and their architectural integration, approved in their final version during a meeting held in Beirut last June. Moreover the TSC has selected 5 public buildings for the implementation of pilot projects in each country involved in the project (for more information www.fosterinmed.eu news section).

The guidelines on PV and the Context analysis report will soon be free to download from the project website.

FOSTEr in MED is a project financed for an amount of 4,05 million Euro by the European Union through the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme (total amount of 4,5 million Euro). It aims to promote the adoption of innovative solar photovoltaic technologies with a strategic approach in six countries of the Mediterranean area: Italy, Spain, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia. The project partners are: University of Cagliari (UNICA); Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Special Agency Industry (ASCAME); Promotional Services Centre for enterprises of the Cagliari Chamber of Commerce (CSPI); Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations (CEEBA); Industrial Research Institute (IRI); Royal Scientific Society (RSS); Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tunis (CCI Tunis); Autonomous Region of Sardinia (RAS).

For more information, please contact: Project Management Office UNICA-DICAAR via Marengo 2 – 09123 Cagliari (Italy) Tel +39 070 6755811; email: management@fosterinmed.eu  website: www.fosterinmed.eu 

Context an. Lebanon - FRENCH