Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This master thesis looked at the factors supporting and hindering Swedish farmers to produce
renewable energy at farms. The main source of data used in this project was a survey answered by
1497 Swedish farmers who were member of the Federation of Swedish Farmers during the winter
2015-2016. To structure the results, Rogers’ theory of diffusion of innovation was used. A literature
review completed the survey and assessed its effectiveness.
The results showed that economic factors were the most important ones and that personal and
business factors were the following most important factors. The results from the survey showed that
political factors are only seen as hindering. This project highlighted that the perception of these
factors differed depending on if the farms were producing energy for their own use or for selling
purpose. For instance, farmers selling energy perceived that political factors, such as the lack of longterm
regulations and the complexity of rules, were more hindering their development than what
farmers using the energy at the farm perceived.
The drivers and hinders were broken down for three renewable energy sources (bioenergy, solar
electricity, and wind power) and showed how each technology related to the different factors.
Focussing on the economic factors, farmers generating renewable energy from photovoltaics panels
or biomass are more satisfied about their investment than farmers who invested in wind power.
In order to overcome global warming, society should abandon fossil based practices and adopt fossil
free ones. Agriculture has a role play by both reducing its own emission of greenhouse gases being a
key actor for the supply of resources for fossil-free based products and services. A way to accelerate
the conversion process is to apply measures that develop the existing drivers and reduce the
perceived hinders. A sample of measures suggested in this project includes promotion of solutions
for the supply of energy for the farm own use based on the current situation, the simplification of
the regulations framing the sale of solar and wind power, and the spread of knowledge about both
energy and its rules.