Exploring the Generation Z Attitude towards Energy Efficiency Improvement and Decarbonization through Heat Pumps: An Empirical Study in Romania

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the attitude of Generation Z representatives from Romania regarding the improvement in energy efficiency and decarbonization through the utilization of modern integrated technologies such as heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems. It uses primary data from a questionnaire-based survey conducted between March and June 2023, with 389 valid responses, for the following purposes: (1) to analyze the attitude of young respondents towards the utilization of sustainable modern integrated technologies, such as heat pumps, in order to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprints; (2) to identify the factors that may influence their attitude regarding these technologies; (3) to understand the influence that the resulting factors may exert on the attitude towards utilization of heat pumps, implicitly leading to energy efficiency improvement and decarbonization in Romania; and (4) to formulate policy recommendations for improving energy efficiency and stimulating decarbonization in Romania. This study employs various descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and multiple regression. The results show that there are six categories of factors influencing the attitude of Generation Z representatives, with “Drivers for improving energy efficiency” along with “Traditional measures for improving energy efficiency” having the largest influence on driving a positive attitude toward energy efficiency improvement and decarbonization. The main policy recommendation derived from this study refers to developing policies and strategies that incentivize citizens not only to have a positive attitude toward energy efficiency and decarbonization through the utilization of heat pumps but also trigger concrete action for installing heat pump technology. Another recommendation concerns the further development and expansion of national and local programs for insulating the external surface of buildings and the replacement of windows and exterior doors that do not have thermal insulation. The third major recommendation is related to awareness creation campaigns among the population about modern measures for improving energetic efficiency, such as heat pumps.

1. Introduction

The analysis of the awareness and attitude of potential consumers towards modern solutions for improving energy efficiency, such as integrated technologies with heat pump systems, represents an issue that is worth investigating, especially considering the new context of decarbonization in the European Union and the climate neutral targets promoted by the European Green Deal. The European Union’s strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving climate neutrality up to 2050 is presented in the European Green Deal, which was launched in December 2019 [1]. These new green EU targets are very high compared to those from 1990 due to the fact that the net CO₂ emissions have to be reduced by 55% by 2030 and by 100% by 2050 [2]. Therefore, there is a need to decarbonize all economic sectors and promote a cleaner environment, green energy, smarter cities, and a higher quality of life [3].

At the European level, REPowerEU is the European Union’s plan to save energy, improve energy efficiency, diversify the energy supply, and accelerate the transition to clean energy. It represents an initiative designed by the European Commission in 2022 whose main goal is to accelerate the process of decarbonization by limiting the import of fossil fuels from Russia and increasing the EU’s energy independence. There is also a need within the economy to find new heating and cooling systems for the building sector that are independent of oil and gas in order to achieve climate neutrality [4]. The measures in the REPowerEU Plan address these targets through energy savings, diversification of energy supplies, and the accelerated roll-out of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels in homes, industry, and power generation [5]. One proposal of the plan targets the technology of heat pumps and aims to double their number in the next 5 years in parallel with the proliferation of photovoltaic panels. These practical solutions have to be implemented within the EU Program “Fit for 55”, where it is stipulated that there is a need to install 10 million heat pumps in the next few years. It must be mentioned that the “Fit for 55” package is a set of proposals to revise and update EU legislation and to put in place new initiatives with the aim of ensuring that EU policies are in line with the climate goals agreed upon by the Council and the European Parliament [6].

The reason why some solutions for decarbonization consist of designing and implementing new heat pump systems is that they can bring higher energy efficiency and a higher conversion of energy from renewable energy sources (e.g., geothermal, water, air) [7]. Moreover, the electricity that the heat pumps are using can be produced with renewable energy sources (e.g., photovoltaic panels) [8]. The new heat pump systems also include energy storage facilities (e.g., batteries) and smart control systems, which enable the compensation of the power fluctuation in the grid due to renewable energy sources [9].

The present study aims to analyze the attitude of Generation Z representatives from Romania towards energy efficiency improvement and decarbonization through the utilization of heat pumps. To our knowledge, there is no other study focused on the attitude of the young generation, representatives of Generation Z, towards integrated technology based on heat pumps. Many studies on the attitude of Generation Z are focused on their social interest [10]. However, Generation Z is considered closer to technology than other generations due to the fact that they are digital natives and are more connected to new communications technologies. Generation Z is the first generation to group with the Internet as part of daily life [11]. The current study investigates the factors that might lead to a positive attitude of the young generation regarding the need to improve energy efficiency and/or reduce the carbon footprint based mainly on the utilization of modern integrated technologies such as heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems.

This article is structured as follows: the introduction explains the framework and the need for implementing modern heat pump systems in the building sector. The literature review part analyzes the development of the heat pump market and the attitudes and perceptions of consumers regarding the implementation of modern technologies for energy production. Next, the research methodology is presented, followed by a section where the results of the analysis of primary data collected within the framework of a questionnaire-based survey are depicted and critically analyzed, and other existing studies in the field are also considered. The article ends with a section of conclusions.

The present study was conducted within the framework of the project “The potential for starting and developing a business for integrated technology based on heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems in order to enable the decarbonization in Romania”, financed by EEA and Norway grants 2014–2021 and implemented by the Bucharest University of Economic Studies from Romania.

2. Theoretical Background

2.1. Heat Pumps—A Brief Introduction of the Concept and Market Overview

Modern integrated technologies based on heat pumps powered by renewable energy represent a technology that integrates heat pumps with renewable energy sources (e.g., photovoltaic panels), smart control instruments, and energy storage equipment. These are seen as a clean energy solution in principle for the heating and cooling processes in buildings. The main types of heat pumps are air and ground sources. These extract heat from the air, ground, water, or even other heat sources and transfer heat to where it is needed [12].

The functionality of heat pumps is based on the vapor compression cycle. The heat transfer is enabled by a working fluid or a refrigerator. This process starts with the working fluid in a liquid state entering the evaporator. Here, heat is absorbed from the heat source, and the fluid evaporates. This vaporized fluid enters the compressor, where, due to compression, its pressure and temperature increase. The resulting high-pressure vapor flows into the condenser. Here, the heat is released to the heating system or heat sink, and the fluid condenses back into the liquid state. When entering the expansion valve, the pressure and temperature of the working fluid decrease and prepare to reenter the evaporator. Heat pumps use electricity in order to increase the temperature of a low-temperature heat source by compressing the working fluid. By reversing the cycle, the heat pumps can be used for cooling processes in buildings by using the cooling system as a heat source.

Thermal energy storage plays an important role in optimizing heat pump systems [13]. It enables the storage of thermal energy (e.g., water tanks or phase change materials such as paraffin and salt hydrates).

The energy efficiency of heat pumps is between two to five times higher than that of gas, biomass, or electric boilers [14]. Therefore, heat pumps have lower energy demand for the same home comfort. From the CO₂ emissions perspective, the heat pump systems that use photovoltaic panels have very low emissions of greenhouse gases [15]. Therefore, these can significantly contribute to the decarbonization process of the building sector (our empirical research is focused on the residential building sector).

According to the latest data released by the International Energy Agency in spring 2023, in 2022, at a global level, the sales of heat pumps recorded a double-digit growth of 11% for the second consecutive year, with Europe experiencing the greatest rise of around 40%. A previous report shows that, compared to the levels from 2020, in 2021, global heat pump sales increased by 13%, with the European Union experiencing the greatest rise of over 35% [16]. China, the greatest market for heat pumps, exhibited much lower growth numbers in 2022 compared to 2021 both for air-to-water and air-to-air heat pumps. Despite recent significant sales growth, heat pumps still only account for around 10% of the world’s building heating needs in 2022. This number can be translated into over 100 million households, meaning that 10% of households that need substantial heating are equipped with heat pump systems today. These figures do not include many other households that benefit from heat pumps mainly for cooling. The aforementioned numbers reveal a great market potential since the achievement of climate goals worldwide would imply that, by 2030, heat pumps would cover nearly 20% of global heating needs in buildings [17]. Due to long-standing policy support, the use of heat pumps is currently at its highest level in the coldest regions of Europe, surpassing 60% of all building heating needs in Norway and exceeding 40% in Sweden and Finland [18].

According to a study carried out by Thomaßen et al. (2021) [19], heat pumps are assumed to become an important player in future heat markets in the European Union, which can mostly be connected to the following reasons: they do not emit CO₂ when generating heat from green electricity, and their efficiency has increased sharply. Countries that were early adopters of a carbon tax recorded the highest implementation rates for heat pumps in the EU. An elevated adoption of heat pumps was observed in Nordic countries and in some other countries as soon as cost parity was reached; France, Slovenia, Spain, Greece, and Austria planned to achieve significant shares between 10 and 30%.

The latest data available for heat pumps in Europe show that in 2022, Nordic countries remain the market with the largest sales per 1000 households, followed by Western and Central European countries, which indirectly indicates the popularity and level of acceptance of this technology by the population [20]. At the country level, the data released by the same European Heat Pump Association reveal that the biggest numbers are exhibited in France (over 610,000 heat pumps sold in 2022), followed by Italy (over 510,000 units sold in 2022). Germany occupies third place with over 275,000 heat pumps sold in 2022. Romania does not appear in any of the statistics, which indicates both the gap in the literature and the high development potential of this sector, which prompts further investigation.

2.2. Consumers’ Attitude toward Modern Technologies for Green Energy Production

The public attitude of consumers towards different subjects and products is essential for preparing business strategies and public policies [21]. In the literature, there are many studies focused on public attitudes which are researching different relations between factors that influence the acceptance of consumers [22].

Public attitudes of consumers towards environmental issues and the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions have only recently become major subjects of investigation in Europe [23], in principle after the implementation of the European Green Deal. However, there are also older studies that consider that the public is more confident in renewable energy sources compared to fossil energy sources [24].

The public represents a key stakeholder in the process of renewable technologies’ acceptance and therefore of heat pumps. Attitudes towards heat pumps may also be influenced by perceptions regarding alternative methods of heat generation [25].

A study developed by Hawkins et al. (2007) [26] revealed that consumers’ attitudes toward a product or technology (i.e., an innovation) hold three components: cognitive, affective, and behavioral intentions. The cognitive elements include the consumer’s beliefs or knowledge. A homeowner’s viewpoint about heating systems is built from the perceptions of characteristics like investment cost, annual energy cost, and functional reliability. Feelings or emotional reactions illustrate the affective elements (e.g., an individual may say that he “likes” a specific heating system). A reaction of this kind may be merely a vague, general feeling developed without any particular cognitive information, or it may be based on an evaluation of beliefs about different features of the respective innovation [26]. The behavioral intention (the third component) is what the clients intend to implement relating to the innovation.

Scandinavian consumers (especially those from Sweden and Norway) are among the most informed when it comes to the benefits of heat pump technology. In those countries, the growing demand for heat pumps as an alternative to fossil heating systems is largely driven by consumers becoming more aware of the financial and energy savings as well as of the environmental benefits of heat pump technology. Even from 2008, when research was conducted by Mahapatra and Gustavsson [27], the focus was to investigate Swedish homeowners’ attitudes to innovative heating systems and those factors that influence their decision to adopt a new heating system. Economic aspects, functional reliability, and indoor air quality were identified to be the most notable determinants influencing respondents’ choice of a heating system. Survey respondents also considered a series of other benefits such as the annual cost of heating, security of fuel supply, environmental impact, market value of the home, and low greenhouse gas emissions.

Trust is also a key factor when analyzing the attitude regarding energy due to the fact that the public may have enthusiasm and willingness to rely on the stakeholders responsible for providing reliable information [28]. According to Walker et al. (2010) [29], trust has an important role to play in the contingencies, the dynamics of community renewable energy projects, and, consequently, the outcomes they can achieve. Trust between local people and groups that take projects forward represents a prerequisite that can help projects work and local people have positive feelings about their involvement in the process. Knowledge and trust are related because when knowledge or the level of information is very low, only trust in governments, scientists, or mass media remains.

A positive public attitude or acceptance of heat pump systems is hard to build and very easy to destroy [30]. Studies indicate three different types of acceptance: sociopolitical, community, and market acceptance [31]. Sociopolitical acceptance has the most relevance for policy making. Social acceptance estimates if consumers have a positive (acceptance of the technology) or a negative (rejection of the technology) attitude about a specific technology, in our case, heat pump systems. Community acceptance is the most specific type due to its relevance for local stakeholders. The market acceptance estimates the relationships between investors and consumers and indicates if they are acting as promoters of or even as barriers to the technology (e.g., for heat pump systems). It should be emphasized that one form of acceptance is not enough individually. Therefore, it is required that all are evaluated in order to increase the efficiency of an implementation program for heat pump systems in buildings [32]. Thus, the heat pump systems have to be accepted not only in a passive way (stakeholders not opposing) but also in an active way (stakeholders investing and adopting).

Penaloza et al. (2022) [33] have conducted a study related to the social and market acceptance of photovoltaic panels and heat pumps in Europe, as they detected only a few studies about the public perception of heat pumps and their contribution to the reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases. They identified that the most common barriers to the adoption of renewables are limited information about the technology (influencing the level of trust), financial concerns, and sociodemographic factors. The investment cost of the technology is identified as a barrier to adoption for all countries.

The theory of planned behavior explains the relation between behavior and belief, considering that the behavior of a consumer is defined by their attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control [34].

Based on the attitude–behavior–context framework, we can analyze different policy types that may influence the implementation of heat pump systems (i.e., incentive-type and compulsory policies) [35] and comparatively explore the drivers for these systems. These policies have to consider that for heating investments, consumers make their choices based on economic constraints (e.g., investment costs, income, energy bill, operational cost) and noneconomic constraints (e.g., characteristics of the building—its size, age, legal ownership and legislation, performance of the heating equipment, air quality, attitudes toward the environment, etc.) [36]. A more detailed analysis divided the factors that play an important role in the implementation of heating systems in socioeconomic, special, residence, and specific behavior intentions [34].

Another study developed by Sopha et al. (2010) [37] researched the factors that influence the selection of heating systems based on Norwegian households’ attitudes with a focus on heat pump technology. The research reveals that sociodemographic factors, communication among households, the perceived importance of heating system attributes, and the applied decision strategy, all together play a role in the decision-making process of Norwegian homeowners. They noted that understanding the background and context of consumers’ decision-making process is a prerequisite to developing strategies that encourage pro-environmental consumer behavior.

Studies on Romania’s potential to implement integrated technologies for heat pumps and the related consumers’ attitudes do not exist, but they are necessary because these new modern technologies represent an essential tool in the fight against climate change. Greenpeace (2023) [38] noted that most Romanian homes burn polluting fossil fuels for heating, and Romania has some of the worst insulated homes in Europe. In total, around 12% of Romania’s carbon emissions come directly from domestic households, from homes, through cooking, heating, and hot water use. Since national carbon emissions cannot be reduced without reducing carbon emissions from Romanian citizens’ own homes, heat pumps are a very effective way of implementing this, and they deserve more attention from potential users in Romania, decision makers, and academics.

3. Research Methodology

3.1. Research Goals and Objectives

The main goal of the current study consists of identifying and analyzing the factors that might lead to a positive attitude regarding the need to improve energy efficiency and/or reduce the carbon footprint based mainly on the utilization of modern integrated technologies such as heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems.

Making use of various descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and multiple regression, as depicted in the subsequent sections of the present paper, the study aims to (1) assess the attitude of various categories of respondents towards the utilization of sustainable modern integrated technologies in order to increase energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint, (2) identify the factors that may influence their attitude and perception regarding the utilization of sustainable modern integrated technologies in order to increase energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint, (3) estimate the influence that the various categories of resulting factors may exert on the attitude towards utilization of green energy production by deploying modern integrated technologies such as heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems, implicitly leading to decarbonization in Romania, and (4) based on the statistical results, formulate recommendations for improving energy efficiency and stimulating decarbonization in Romania through appropriate policies and measures.

3.2. Research Tool

The study relies on primary data collected through a questionnaire-based survey administered online. The questionnaire, which aimed to assess respondents’ attitudes towards integrated technology based on heat pumps, was developed following research of the literature and focus groups with relevant experts. The questionnaire entails three main parts: the first part contains demographic questions and questions related to the dwelling of respondents, such as residence, gender, level of education, income level, surface of the dwelling, and type of dwelling. The second part of the questionnaire aims to measure the general attitude of respondents towards energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint, while the third section evaluates the factors that might influence the attitude and perception of respondents about green energy. The items in the third section of the questionnaire were organized around the main ideas of (i) motivational factors for improving energy efficiency and promoting green energy; (ii) potential obstacles for reaching the above-mentioned energy targets; (iii) concrete measures targeting energy efficiency and decarbonization; (iv) information needed by respondents for installing heat pumps in the building.

A pilot study was conducted, the feedback was integrated, and the final questionnaire was validated by the internal and external experts in the project. In order to maximize the response rate and minimize the drop-off rate, all questions are close-ended and, except the demographic ones, they are formulated on a five-point Likert scale, which assesses the degree respondents agree or disagree with a certain statement, as follows: 5—strongly agree; 4—agree; 3—neither agree nor disagree; 2—disagree; and 1—strongly disagree.

3.3. Data

The present study uses primary data collected online from the young generation in Romania for a period of four months from March to June 2023. The target population was represented by residents of Romania owning or living in a dwelling where they can influence decisions regarding its energetic efficiency, with a special focus on the young generation, representatives of Generation Z. According to various studies [11,39,40] the representatives of this generation grew up with climate anxiety and are therefore considered more environmentally conscious and inclined to care about ecological issues and sustainable use of resources while at the same time having a pragmatic attitude toward addressing these issues. At the same time, members of Generation Z have surpassed Baby Boomers in the workforce, seeking long-term and important roles in organizations, therefore reshaping the labor market and exerting an increasingly important role as consumers and, implicitly, potential buyers of sustainable integrated technologies for green energy production.

We deployed simple random sampling, and in order to compute the minimum sample size, we used the following Cochran’s formula (1977) [41], one of the most frequently used formulas in social sciences for calculating the sample size:

$$\mathrm{Finite} \mathrm{population}: \mathrm{n}\prime =\frac{\mathrm{n}}{1+\frac{{\dot{\mathrm{z}}}^2\mathrm{x} \hat{\mathrm{p}}\left(1-\hat{\mathrm{p}}\right)}{{\mathsf{\epsilon }}^2\mathrm{N}}},$$

(1)

where:

• $\dot{\mathrm{z}}$ is the z score;
• ε is the margin of error;
• N is the population size;
• $\hat{\mathrm{p}}$ is the population proportion.

For a confidence level of 95%, a margin of error of 5%, a population size of 9,655,685 (according to the National Institute of Statistics on 31 December 2022 [42], there were 9,655,685 dwelling units in Romania), and a recommended $\hat{\mathrm{p}}$ of 0.5 if not sure (in our case, it is not known for how many dwellings the utilization of modern technologies such as heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems would be suitable), there is a minimum sample size of 385 results. However, even in the scenario of unknown population size, it results that 385 or more questionnaires are needed to have a confidence level of 95%. The questionnaire was distributed online and 389 valid questionnaires were collected from March to June 2023. Since we collected 389 valid answers, we consider that the statistical constraint regarding the sample size was met.

Regarding the distribution of the sample, it should be mentioned that most respondents (87.7%) come from urban areas, while 56.6% of them are female and 43.4% male. Many of them have a higher education degree (48.8%), while 51.2% graduated from high school. Almost 20% of them report experience in the energy field. Regarding the dwelling, 78.7% are thermally insulated, 12.8% are partially thermally insulated, and 8.5% are not thermally insulated. Almost 30% of the dwellings are over 110 sqm, while 33% are between 71 and 110 sqm and the rest are between 51 and 70 sqm.

4. Results

4.1. Analysis of the Attitude of Generation Z in Romania towards Energy Efficiency Improvement and Decarbonization

As depicted in

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for the attitude towards improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint.

N	Valid	389
	Missing	0
Mean		4.2031
Median		4
Mode		4
Std. Deviation		0.81695
Variance		0.667
Skewness		−1.074
Std. Error of Skewness		0.124
Kurtosis		1.689
Std. Error of Kurtosis		0.247

Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

, we performed various descriptive statistics analyses in order to illustrate respondents’ attitudes towards improving energy performance and reducing the carbon footprint.

As it can be observed, all computed values (mean, median, mode, skewness, and kurtosis) reveal a very positive attitude of the respondents regarding the need to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint, as resulting from the self-assessment on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. Besides its widely known versatility which facilitates the quantification of subjective responses in a reliable and systematic manner [43], the main drawback of using Likert scale in the present research is represented by the Dunning-Kruger effect (2011) [44]. The Dunning–Kruger effect refers to cognitive self-analysis bias; because participants are asked to self-evaluate (using the Likert scale from 1 to 5), some may tend to overevaluate topics they do not really understand or perceive as having a positive meaning they want to associate with. Even though it is reasonable to assume that the respondents overevaluated themselves on this question, the positive tendency still exists. This indicates at least awareness about the need for green energy and decarbonization, and awareness is the first step towards taking action. The very positive values can also be biased by the fact that most respondents belong to Generation Z and are considered more environmentally conscious.

Since values of 1, 2, and 3 indicate either a negative or indifferent attitude towards energy performance improvement and carbon footprint reduction, we grouped the responses into three broad categories: negative or indifferent attitude (1, 2, and 3), positive (4), and very positive (5) on the x-axis. The histogram below (Figure 1) outlines the frequency distribution (as % on the y-axis) concerning the variable attitude. As resulting from the frequency analysis, around 42% of respondents declare a positive attitude, around 40% even a very positive one, and 16% are indifferent or have a negative attitude (

Table 2. Frequency distribution for the attitude towards improving energy performance and reducing carbon footprint.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	negative/unconcerned	65	16.7	16.7	16.7
	positive	166	42.7	42.7	59.4
	very positive	158	40.6	40.6	100.0
	total	389	100.0	100.0

Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

).

We considered it relevant to further analyze the mean of this variable in a comparative manner for different groups: men and women, rural and urban residence, various educational backgrounds, and knowledge in the field of energy. Also, similar research was conducted in other countries. For example, Karytsas (2018) [45] investigated the awareness and the intention to implement heat pumps in Greece and it showed that factors such as demographic characteristics (gender, age, education level), environmentally friendly behavior and awareness, along with occupation, studies, or interests connected with the energy sector, exert an influence on the decision related to the installation of a heat pump system.

As for Romania, as outlined in

Table 3. Gender differences in the attitude towards improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint.

	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error	95% Confidence Interval for Mean		Minimum	Maximum
					Lower Bound	Upper Bound
feminine	220	4.3136	0.73825	0.04977	4.2155	4.4117	1.00	5.00
masculine	169	4.0592	0.89112	0.06855	3.9238	4.1945	1.00	5.00
total	389	4.2031	0.81695	0.04142	4.1216	4.2845	1.00	5.00

Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

, women exhibit greater average values (women exhibit 4.31 compared to 4.05 by men), revealing therefore a more positive approach and attitude towards improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint and implicitly more interest in green energy and climate issues. The difference between means is validated by ANOVA and the Welch robust test of equality of means and also confirmed by the nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis test (see

Table 4. (A). ANOVA results for the attitude towards improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint. (B). Robust tests of equality of means for the attitude towards improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint.

A
	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Between Groups	6.189	1	6.189	9.476	0.002
Within Groups	252.767	387	0.653
Total	258.956	388
B
	Statistic a	df1	df2		Sig.
Welch	9.023	1	322.978		0.003

^a Asymptotically F distributed. Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

).

Similar comparative analyses of means (as in the case of gender) were also conducted for other variables, such as area of residence (urban versus rural area), education level, size of the dwelling, income level, and experience/knowledge in the field of energy. Even if differences between the means of various groups exist, their statistical significance was not confirmed by the ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis test in all cases. Therefore, according to ANOVA results and Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric tests:

• No statistically significant differences were found between the means of multiple groups considering the area of residence, income level, size of the dwelling, or level of experience in the field of energy.
• Statistically significant differences exist between the means of different groups of respondents according to their education level: PhD holders, postgraduate studies degree holders, and master’s program graduates exhibit the highest mean for the attitude, namely: PhD—4.63, postgraduate studies—4.44, and master’s graduates—4.36. Therefore, the higher the level of instruction, the higher the interest in sustainable energy and decarbonization. This relation could be further investigated in more specific studies.

4.2. Analysis of the Factors Influencing the Attitude towards Energy Efficiency Improvement and Decarbonization

In order to identify and highlight the factors that might influence respondents’ attitudes towards green energy use and decarbonization, factor analysis based on the principal component analysis (PCA) extraction method with varimax and Kaiser normalization rotation was deployed. Factor analysis is a statistical method widely used in social sciences when trying to measure indirectly abstract concepts and phenomena. The main goal of factor analysis consists of identifying clusters of variables that converge toward the same idea. Ultimately, factor analysis aims at reducing the set of unobserved factors by simplifying the dataset, which has a large number of observed variables [46]. In the case of the present research, we want to discover the main ideas (latent variables) behind the 27 items of the questionnaire about attitudes and perceptions related to sustainable sources of energy and reduction in the carbon footprint, measured on the Likert scale from 1 to 5. We used principal component analysis (PCA), which reduces the number of variables by transforming the original variables into a new set of uncorrelated variables that are called principal components. In our case, the resulting six factors were saved as factor scores and used further on in a multiple regression model.

The results of Bartlett’s test of sphericity confirmed that the data are suitable for factor analysis and also that the correlation matrix is significantly different from the unit matrix (the value of the test statistic was χ2(351) = 4877.403, with a p-value smaller than 0.0001). The value of the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test, which measures sampling adequacy, was 0.913, which is greater than the minimum recommended value of 0.7. Therefore, the results of these tests recommend that the data are appropriate for factor analysis (see

Table 5. KMO and Bartlett’s test.

Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy		0.913
Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity	Approx. Chi-Square	4877.403
	Df	351
	Sig.	0.000

Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

).

The standardized loadings, displayed in

Table 6. Principal component analysis.

Rotated Component Matrix a
	Component
	PCA1	PCA2	PCA3	PCA4	PCA5	PCA6
Information regarding the existing legal regulations concerning the installation and use of heat pumps	0.793	0.137	0.170	0.123	0.061	0.074
Information about the cost of other smart control systems that can be connected to heat pumps	0.730	0.120	0.156	0.248	0.064	0.193
Information about the cost of heat pumps	0.720	0.172	0.155	−0.015	0.253	0.220
Technical information about the energy efficiency of heat pumps	0.714	0.197	0.243	0.076	0.140	0.088
Information about the savings that can be obtained by installing heat pumps	0.707	0.120	0.221	0.052	0.192	0.264
Information about companies that sell and install heat pumps	0.704	0.166	0.172	0.056	0.090	−0.008
Studies on various types of heat pumps highlighting their advantages and disadvantages	0.692	0.249	0.108	0.014	0.151	0.192
Information about reducing CO2 and other gas emissions by using heat pumps	0.611	0.248	0.294	0.325	−0.137	−0.014
Replacing heating equipment with heat pumps	0.202	0.794	0.090	0.034	0.101	0.083
Replacement of air conditioning equipment for cooling with heat pumps (also used for heating)	0.151	0.765	0.146	0.099	0.140	0.061
Implementing a national financing program to replace the current heating systems with more efficient ones, such as the latest generation of heat pumps	0.317	0.604	0.162	0.152	0.051	0.272
Energy storage using batteries	0.211	0.570	0.183	0.192	−0.134	−0.014
Energy production with photovoltaic panels and introduction of smart monitoring and control systems	0.212	0.484	0.176	0.183	0.013	0.416
Facilities for educating and training citizens on energy management (energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, metering, heat pumps)	0.281	0.101	0.716	0.211	0.030	0.068
Fiscal regulations (tax deductions, incentives, etc.) to stimulate the reduction in energy consumption and/or carbon emissions	0.224	0.103	0.706	−0.041	0.198	0.150
Plans/strategies at the level of property owners’ association/local government to manage energy consumption in the medium and long term	0.307	0.175	0.686	0.195	−0.106	0.072
Various sources of financing (European funds, local public administration, state budget, private investment funds, etc.) for heat pumps, thermal energy storage systems, and smart control systems	0.254	0.342	0.600	0.013	0.210	0.108
Your availability for the establishment of a voluntary association in a citizens’ energy community	0.116	0.354	0.410	0.003	0.175	0.091
Lack of specialists in the energy field	0.048	0.115	−0.077	0.808	−0.031	0.052
Lack of consumer awareness and education in the energy field	0.227	0.109	0.271	0.667	0.127	−0.021
Poor infrastructure for energy distribution	0.073	0.104	0.208	0.603	0.331	0.129
Lack of funding	0.092	0.078	−0.060	0.485	0.390	0.203
Bureaucracy	0.124	0.080	0.063	0.067	0.814	0.111
Poor legislation (including local public policies)	0.253	−0.025	0.140	0.182	0.780	0.086
Lack of fiscal facilities	0.137	0.197	0.197	0.463	0.537	0.053
Replacement of windows and exterior doors that do not have thermal insulation	0.205	0.148	0.066	0.085	0.122	0.826
Insulating the external surface of buildings	0.252	0.118	0.215	0.090	0.160	0.815
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.

^a Rotation converged in 7 iterations. Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

, are the correlation coefficients between each factor and the 27 items. The items were listed in decreasing order of the loadings for each factor, thus facilitating the interpretation of each latent underlying construct. The highlighted coefficients for each item represent the factor with which that item correlates more strongly.

Analyzing the underlying items, the first factor can be named PCA 1—Information. The underlying items refer to various types of information needed by respondents in order to consider the replacement of current central heating and air conditioning with modern integrated technologies based on heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems: information about legal regulations in force, information about various categories of costs and potential savings, technical information, and information about vendors and improved performance related to the environmental impact of heat pumps.

The next five items presented in Table 6 load mainly on the second factor and represent modern measures needed in order to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint, such as replacing heating equipment and air conditioning equipment for cooling with heat pumps, energy storage using batteries, energy production with photovoltaic panels and introduction of smart monitoring and control systems, implementing a national financing program to replace the current heating systems with more efficient ones such as the latest generation of heat pumps. Therefore, the second factor is named PCA 2—Modern measures for improving energy efficiency.

Items such as “Facilities for educating and training citizens on energy management”, “Fiscal regulations (tax deductions, incentives, etc.) to stimulate the reduction in energy consumption and/or carbon emissions”, “Plans/strategies at the level of the property owners’ association/local government to manage energy consumption in the medium and long term”, “Various sources of financing (European funds, local public administration, state budget, private investment funds, etc.) for heat pumps, thermal energy storage systems, and smart control systems”, and “Availability for the establishment of a voluntary association in a citizens’ energy community” have high loadings on the third factor. Therefore, this factor reflects the drivers for improving energy efficiency and we called it accordingly PCA 3—Drivers for improving energy efficiency.

The fourth factor is associated with negative items, such as “Lack of specialists in the energy field”, “Lack of consumer awareness and education in the energy field”, “Poor infrastructure for energy distribution”, and “Lack of funding”. Therefore, these underlying items suggest obstacles to improving energy performance and reducing the carbon footprint. Consequently, this factor is labeled PCA 4—Obstacles against improving energy efficiency.

The next factor has three underlying items, all of them having also a negative connotation: “Bureaucracy”, “Poor legislation (including local public policies)”, and “Lack of fiscal facilities”. This factor is named PCA 5—Bureaucracy and legislation.

The last factor, PCA 6—Traditional measures for improving energy efficiency, contains the two most widely known and applied measures for improving energy efficiency in Romania, namely “Replacement of windows and exterior doors that do not have thermal insulation” and “Insulating the external surface of buildings”.

By reducing the 27 items of the questionnaire to a dimension based on only six factors, the six principal components outlined above accounted for 62.56% of the total variance in the initial dataset. The first factor accounted for 18% of the total variance, the second factor for 10.46%, the third one for 9.93%, the fourth one for 8.69%, the fifth one for 8.27%, and the sixth one for 7.2% of the variance.

An internal consistency analysis (see

Table 7. Cronbach’s alpha of the six resulting factors.

	PCA 1	PCA 2	PCA 3	PCA 4	PCA 5	PCA 6
Cronbach’s Alpha	0.907	0.790	0.774	0.687	0.751	0.815

Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

) was also performed for each of the six resulting factors in order to demonstrate that the underlying items converge to the same latent variable (factor) and are consistent with the scale used. Cronbach’s α index was used for the internal consistency analysis, and in all cases, with the exception of factor 4, which refers to obstacles, its value exceeds the recommended threshold in social sciences of 0.7. For factor 4, “Obstacles against improving energy efficiency”, the value of Cronbach’s Alpha is 0.687 and is therefore very close to 0.7. However, many authors consider that in the social sciences, given the diversity of constructs, even Cronbach’s α values of 0.6 indicate a consistent scale [47].

4.3. Regression Analysis of the Factors Influencing the Attitude towards Energy Efficiency Improvement and Decarbonization

In order to assess the causal relation between the factor scores of the six latent variables (PCA1 ÷ PCA6) and the attitude towards energy efficiency and decarbonization, we performed a multiple regression analysis, where the attitude represents the dependent variable and the PCA1 ÷ PCA6 are the independent variables. The summary of the multiple regression model is presented below (

Table 8. Multiple regression model ^b.

Model	R	R Square	Adjusted R Square	Std. Error of the Estimate	Durbin–Watson
1	0.567 a	0.322	0.311	0.67795	1.952

^a Predictors: (Constant), PCA6_Traditional_measures, PCA5_Bureaucracy, PCA4_Obstacles, PCA3_Drivers, PCA2_Modern_measures, PCA1_Information; ^b Dependent variable: my attitude regarding the need to improve energy performance and/or reduce CO₂/carbon footprint in my own house is positive. Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

).

Analyzing the regression model, it can be observed that the selected factors can explain 32% of the variation in the attitude. The remainder of almost 68% is explained by other variables, which are not included in the model. Moreover, the value of F of 30.23 at a significance level Sig. = 0.000 shows that the regression model is statistically significant (

Table 9. ANOVA ^a.

Model	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Regression	83.383	6	13.897	30.236	0.000
Residual	175.574	382	0.460
Total	258.956	388

^a Dependent variable: my attitude regarding the need to improve energy performance and/or reduce CO₂/carbon footprint in my own house is positive. Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

).

Analyzing the table of regression coefficients (

Table 10. Coefficients for the factors influencing the attitude towards energy efficiency improvement and decarbonization ^a.

Model		Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig.	95.0% Confidence Interval for B		Collinearity Statistics
		B	Std. Error	Beta			Lower Bound	Upper Bound	Tolerance	VIF
	(Constant)	4.203	0.034		122.277	0.000	4.135	4.271
	PCA1_Information	0.164	0.034	0.201	4.763	0.000	0.096	0.232	1.000	1.000
	PCA2_Modern_measures	0.145	0.034	0.177	4.206	0.000	0.077	0.212	1.000	1.000
	PCA3_Drivers	0.367	0.034	0.449	10.660	0.000	0.299	0.435	1.000	1.000
	PCA4_Obstacles	0.053	0.034	0.064	1.528	0.127	−0.015	0.120	1.000	1.000
	PCA5_Bureaucracy	0.045	0.034	0.056	1.321	0.187	−0.022	0.113	1.000	1.000
	PCA6_Traditional_measures	0.166	0.034	0.203	4.829	0.000	0.099	0.234	1.000	1.000

^a Dependent variable: my attitude regarding the need to improve energy performance and/or reduce CO₂/carbon footprint in my own house is positive. Source: authors’ elaboration on sample data.

), we can state that, if PCA 3—Drivers for improving energy efficiency increases by one unit, then the attitude increases on average by 0.367 units, holding constant the other explanatory variables. This is the factor with the largest influence on the attitude regarding energy efficiency and decarbonization. Having in mind that drivers are very important and can influence attitude is highly important when developing policies and strategies at all levels. If PCA 6—Traditional measures for improving energy efficiency increases by one unit, then attitude increases by 0.166 units. The attitude is influenced to a smaller extent by PCA 1—Information (B = 0.164) and PCA 2—Modern measures for improving energy efficiency (B = 0.145).

Based on the regression model, it can be stated that two factors, namely, PCA4—Obstacles against improving energy efficiency and PCA5—Bureaucracy and legislation, are not statistically significant (p-value > 0.05). This outcome is very interesting since it shows that various types of obstacles do not have a significant contribution to explaining the variance of respondents’ attitudes towards energy efficiency and decarbonization. These results could be rooted in behavioral economics: people are used to overcoming barriers and bureaucratic hurdles in order to achieve their targets, in our case, energy efficiency and decarbonization.

5. Discussion

Our findings indicate that there is a strong positive attitude among Generation Z respondents towards the need to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint through the adoption of green energy technologies such as heat pumps. Karytsas and Theodoropoulou (2014) [34] also found that the interest in the consideration and eventual utilization of heat pumps is positively correlated with an increased awareness of this technology along with the existence of a preoccupation with the environment. This interest proved to be higher for younger age groups, higher income groups, and university technical education graduates. Yet, in the academic literature, the gap between the attitude and concrete behavior of consumers that exists in the sustainability context is widely recognized. Therefore, in many cases, there is a discrepancy between what respondents declare regarding their attitude toward pro-environmental behavior and their actions [25,48], and this might also be the case in the present research since we cannot observe their concrete actions. Our study also revealed that females exhibit a more positive attitude than males when it comes to improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint. Moreover, the higher the level of education, the more positive the attitude towards carbon footprint reduction. These findings were also confirmed by Karytsas’s (2018) [45] research.

The findings of the principal component analysis revealed that there are six factors influencing the attitude of the Generation Z representatives towards energy efficiency improvement and carbon footprint reduction, namely: PCA 1—Information, PCA 2—Modern measures for improving energy efficiency, PCA 3—Drivers for improving energy efficiency, PCA 4—Obstacles against improving energy efficiency, PCA 5—Bureaucracy and legislation, and PCA 6—Traditional measures for improving energy efficiency. Other studies found comparable results, as depicted further in the paper.

Concerning the information regarding green energy and energy efficiency, academic research recognizes that knowledge regarding heat pumps is critical when determining attitudes towards the industry and important for understanding the information provided by stakeholders in the case of decision making or problem solving (see, for instance, [49]). In order to gain knowledge in the field of heat pumps and to understand the potential contribution of heat pump systems to the decarbonization of the building sector, one needs to have an individual willingness and trigger to obtain such information and also have the ability to acquire this information [50]. A lack of information regarding energy mix, as well as both positive and negative aspects, influences attitudes regarding energy sources [25]. The consumers can be against CO₂ emissions but may not be against gas plants or can promote support for wind power or photovoltaic energy [31]. The study of Wilhite and Ling (1995) [51] also proved that more information leads to more energy savings and efficiency.

Regarding the measures and drivers for improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint, it is widely recognized in the literature that extrinsic incentives can shape behaviors and lead to sustainable habits [51]. At the same time, trust generated by the sense of belonging to a community was also mentioned in previous research as an important factor that might influence consumers’ attitudes and acceptance [28,29].

Concerning the barriers to the consideration of green energy solutions for improving energy efficiency, it can be reckoned that it has remained challenging to persuade individual homeowners to invest in energy-efficient technologies, like heat pumps, due to a lack of knowledge and information and financial barriers [52]. The results of our study, signaling a series of barriers against implementation (such as lack of awareness and education in the field, insufficient funding, etc.) are in line with other studies in the literature mentioning similar obstacles (for instance, [33]). However, recent research highlights that the transition to retrofit the building stock is not a decision made by homeowners alone [53]. Therefore, it is important to consider the influence of actor networks, such as construction firms and installers. Such intermediaries play an important role in the investments made by homeowners and, more specifically, to what extent they invest in energy-efficient solutions [49]. Several studies indicate that, if sustainable behavior is desired, the use of more efficient green technologies for energy production and access to these technologies should be very simple and comfortable [54,55]. Therefore, they should be easily accessible and easy to implement for the user.

Our study also revealed bureaucracy and poor legislation as an influencing factor for developing a positive attitude towards energy efficiency improvement and decarbonization through modern solutions such as heat pumps. In the last decade, in most regions of Romania, programs subsidized by the state/local authorities meant to improve the thermal insulation of buildings were implemented. However, according to Greenpeace (2023) [38], we still lag behind other European countries in this field.

Furthermore, the findings of our regression analysis suggested that “Drivers for improving energy efficiency” along with “Traditional measures for improving energy efficiency” represent the factors with the largest influence on the attitude regarding energy efficiency and decarbonization. Moghaddam et al. (2016) [56] outlined in this regard the importance of considering more affordable ways, such as electrical heat pumps, to lower the detrimental effects of climate change, improve energy efficiency, and reduce health-related problems. Therefore, if we want to influence the attitude in a positive way, the main channels are various types of incentives related to the adoption of modern, more sustainable technologies and the classical methods of insulating the external surface of buildings, windows, and exterior doors. This outcome also reveals the need for more popularization and creation of awareness among potential users about other modern measures for improving energetic efficiency and decarbonization, in addition to the two traditional measures of insulating the external surface of buildings and the replacement of windows and exterior doors that do not have thermal insulation, both of which are widely known and spread in Romania, financed and subsidized on a large scale by the state through various programs in recent years.

6. Conclusions

The present study examined the relationship between the attitude of the young generation, mainly representatives of Generation Z, towards integrated technology based on heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems and different factors that may determine a positive attitude in the context of decarbonization in Romania. The study indicated that Generation Z from Romania has a very positive attitude regarding the need to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint. They are aware of the need to decarbonize society, and they manifest interest in climate issues and using more green energy.

The analysis was based on composed factors that influence the attitude of Generation Z toward modern integrated heat pump technology. The factors with the largest influence on the attitude regarding energy efficiency and decarbonization can be found in the group named “Drivers for improving energy efficiency”. This group includes opportunities for educating and training citizens on energy management and other energy-related issues; fiscal regulations, including, for example, tax deductions, incentives, and grants to stimulate a reduction in energy consumption and/or carbon emissions; development of plans and strategies at the level of property owners’ associations or at local/regional government level to manage energy consumption in the medium and long term; access to various sources of financing (European funds, local public administration, state budget, private investment funds, etc.) for the implementation of heat pumps, thermal energy storage systems, and smart control systems; and the availability of homeowners for the establishment of a voluntary association in a citizens’ energy community. Having in mind that drivers are essential and can determine not just a positive attitude towards energy efficiency and decarbonization but also the concrete action of potential users, it is highly important to consider them when developing policies and strategies at all levels.

It was also interesting to notice that the factors “Obstacles against improving energy efficiency” and “Bureaucracy and legislation” are not real barriers for the younger generation in the adoption of energy efficiency and decarbonization solutions.

The category with a smaller influence on the attitude of Generation Z regarding energy efficiency and decarbonization is represented by the factor “Information”. This group includes items regarding various types of information needed by respondents in order to consider the replacement of current central heating and air conditioning with modern integrated technologies based on heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and smart control systems: information about legal regulations in force, various categories of costs and potential savings, technical information, and information about vendors and improved performance related to the environmental impact of heat pumps. This could be explained by the fact that Generation Z is more self-informed compared with other generations due to the fact that they have digital competencies and feel confident to easily access and acquire information on a specific topic (including topics related to modern solutions for increasing energy efficiency) when really needed.

In order to compare the attitudes of different groups regarding the need for energy efficiency improvement, we deployed several statistical tests. Statistically relevant results were observed only for the variables of gender and level of education. For other grouping variables such as residence, income level, experience/knowledge in the field of energy, and type and surface of the dwelling, the outcomes of the tests were not statistically relevant. Therefore, women exhibit greater average values than men, revealing a more positive approach and attitude toward improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint. At the same time, the higher the level of education, the higher the interest in sustainable energy and decarbonization. Both relations could represent the object of further dedicated studies.

To our knowledge, this is the first study examining the attitude of the young generation, representatives of Generation Z, towards the adoption and implementation of integrated technologies based on heat pumps and other modern solutions aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Our research provides interesting insights to local or regional governments regarding the necessary support expected by the young generation in order for them to behave more proactively in this regard. Therefore, in order to actively promote modern heat pump systems, policy makers and other institutions with responsibilities in the field should focus on three major directions: (i) developing a set of financial and nonfinancial incentives aimed at accelerating the adoption of (expensive) modern technologies for energy production by the population in Romania on a larger scale; (ii) actively raising awareness by creating informative campaigns in the national mass media but also at the level of local authorities and communities about decarbonization, and concrete action in order to reach the climate goals should be created and implemented; (iii) the existing national programs in Romania for insulation of buildings should be continued and expanded, along with also promoting newer methods and technologies for increasing energy efficiency.

This study is not without limitations. The research results are limited to the attitude of Generation Z from Romania towards integrated technologies for heat pump systems and decarbonization. Future research in this field may be focused on exploring the same attitude of Generation Z from other member states of the European Union in a comparative manner. Comparative studies with a focus on other age categories could also be conducted. It would also be very interesting to further develop the study in a transversal manner, approaching the same respondents a few years later and analyzing how their attitude has evolved over time, influenced by various internal and external factors. Added value to a further study could also be brought by the integration of a new variable in the model, which measures the concrete action of respondents regarding decarbonization and increasing energy efficiency by implementing modern integrated solutions such as heat pump systems.