Survey: Midwesterners Aware of Alt Fuel & Vehicles, Not Much Else

Eighty-seven percent of homeowners in the Midwest consider the development of alternative energy products and processes to be very important to critical. However, less than one percent are aware of any alternative energy technology outside of what has been talked about relative to vehicles and the use of alternative fuel, according to a survey (PDF) from Intellitrends and Geo-Renew Systems.

Only one in five agree that the U.S. is currently on track or ahead of the increasing need for alternative energy initiatives. Forty percent of U.S. homeowners agree that they are very to extremely aware of alternative energy initiatives for vehicles; however, in terms of alternative energy specific energy saving technologies in their home, 84 percent of homeowners point first to “energy efficient appliances” followed next by “low-E window glass,” cited by only 39 percent. Awareness or understanding of alternative technologies such as solar panels, geothermal, photovoltaic solar heat, and wind turbine systems was less than one percent.

When asked “Who should take the lead in advancing alternative energy sources?” 72 percent point to the Federal Government, but 59 percent also feel that business can take a leadership role by the products it develops and sells.

U.S. homeowners are open to new technology for alternative energy sources for two primary reasons; first, to reduce the U.S. dependence on other sources and countries and secondly, as an alternative to rising gas and electric costs.

Sixty-two percent of U.S. homeowners say they are very to extremely willing to invest in home products that operate on renewable energy sources with over one-third willing to pay a premium of six percent to ten percent more for technologies that offering reduction on current energy dependence.