Would you put your sustainability on display? Preferences for the visibility of sustainable household energy measures in the Netherlands

The visibility of sustainable energy measures is a channel of social influence, a means of conspicuous consumption, and affects the aesthetics of an environment. This study investigates how the visibility of sustainable household energy measures (i.e., installation of renewable energy and energy efficient devices) affects people's choices of those products in the Netherlands. In addition, the moderating effects of product attributes, including price, aesthetic appeal, environmental impact, and popularity, are assessed. A choice experiment was conducted in which participants chose between options of heat pumps and solar panels. The results indicate that visibility decreases the probability that a person chooses a heat pump, whereas visibility does not affect the choice of solar panels. For heat pumps, a higher aesthetic appeal mitigates the negative effect of visibility. Interestingly, a more positive environmental impact worsens the negative effect of visibility on the choice of heat pumps. The study suggests that visibility is not influential for choices of sustainable energy measures that have been part of the street scenery for a while, such as solar panels. For devices of which presence is unfamiliar, visibility is perceived as negative and considered a reason to choose another model. For a decision about whether to visibly install unfamiliar sustainable energy measures, expression of aesthetic style is a positive and influential factor, whereas increased environmentalism negatively affects choice.