Conceptions and perceptions about sources of energy and related technologies

Nowadays, there is a growing demand for electric energy, which is needed to foster economic development as well as to sustain modern lifestyles (e.g., for transportation, and communication services). For many years, fossil fuels were the main energy source for electricity generation. Yet, since the 1990s, there has been an increasing trend to use renewable and clean energy sources for energy generation. This paradigm shift arises not only from the scarcity of fossil energy resources, but also from the need to mitigate the increase in global warming so that the Earth's balance is not compromised. As governments search for transitions to low-carbon energy systems, by fostering the use of a variety of renewable sources of energy, energy literacy, particularly among ordinary citizens (students included), remains low and needs to be promoted. Promoting it successfully requires an understanding of citizens’ conceptions and perceptions about energy, energy sources, and their related technologies, as they may interfere, either facilitating or hindering, with the implementation of energy transition projects, as well as with school learning. This paper, within the scope of the GREENLIGHT Erasmus+ project (ref. 2023-2-TR01-KA220-SCH- 000180691), aims to present a literature-based synthesis on citizens’ conceptions and perceptions about energy, energy sources, and their related technologies. The literature reviewed reveals that energy is conceptualized as something material or a force; renewable energy sources are perceived as cost-free, insufficient to meet energy demands, unable to replace fossil fuels; and environmentally friendly and pollution-free. Citizens generally hold positive attitudes towards renewable energy sources, as long as large-scale energy plants are not built. Thus, the literature highlights the need for improving energy literacy education, so that it can contribute to overcoming citizens’ alternative conceptions and negative perceptions about sources of energy and related technologies.