Exploring public perceptions of renewable energy: Evidence from a word network model in social network services

Given the energy-related accidents and issues in our society, public perceptions of specific energy technologies are a fundamental concern while formulating local and national energy plans. As an approach toward addressing these perceptions, the current study was aimed at collecting user-created contents on renewable energy in a topic-based social network service. A word network model in social network services (SNS) was proposed, and a network analysis was conducted for examining the public perceptions of renewable energy resources. The results obtained indicated that the word network model in SNSs and the employed approaches can extract both frequently mentioned and latent issues pertaining to renewable energy. In addition, they are useful for observing public perspectives toward renewable energy. Based on the results, the implications as well as the limitations of the approach are discussed.