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Promoting renewable energy initiatives that align with local values and preferences can foster acceptance and address context-specific concerns. This study develops an agent-based model to examine the influence of peer and media communication on public opinion and awareness regarding renewable energy projects in rural Japan. Drawing on exploratory survey data from Semboku City, individual agents were initialized with behavioral attributes including preference, knowledge, attitude, place attachment, and awareness. Three scenarios were simulated over a 10-year period to assess the impacts of weak and strong social (peer) and media influence. The results show that media exposure plays a critical role in rapidly disseminating awareness and stabilizing public support. Conversely, when peer influence is strong but negatively framed can suppress positive opinions and counteract the effects of media campaigns, particularly for less-preferred technologies. The model demonstrates that the most preferred renewable energy option consistently retains positive support across scenarios, aligning with real-world patterns of technology preference stability. Our research highlights the importance of strategic communication in sustainable energy transitions and offers insights for designing locally accepted renewable energy initiatives.

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Simulating Opinion Dynamics and Awareness Diffusion in Local Renewable Energy Implementation

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Hazirah Hanim Zaharuddin,
  • Mazlina Abdul Majid,
  • Hiromi Kubota,
  • Noriyoshi Tsuchiya

摘要

Promoting renewable energy initiatives that align with local values and preferences can foster acceptance and address context-specific concerns. This study develops an agent-based model to examine the influence of peer and media communication on public opinion and awareness regarding renewable energy projects in rural Japan. Drawing on exploratory survey data from Semboku City, individual agents were initialized with behavioral attributes including preference, knowledge, attitude, place attachment, and awareness. Three scenarios were simulated over a 10-year period to assess the impacts of weak and strong social (peer) and media influence. The results show that media exposure plays a critical role in rapidly disseminating awareness and stabilizing public support. Conversely, when peer influence is strong but negatively framed can suppress positive opinions and counteract the effects of media campaigns, particularly for less-preferred technologies. The model demonstrates that the most preferred renewable energy option consistently retains positive support across scenarios, aligning with real-world patterns of technology preference stability. Our research highlights the importance of strategic communication in sustainable energy transitions and offers insights for designing locally accepted renewable energy initiatives.