MANAGEMENT PERCEPTIONS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY USE AND EFFICIENT ENERGY CONSUMPTION: A CASE OF SLOVENIAN COMPANIES

Research concerning the efficient use of energy (EUE) and use of renewable energy sources (RES) is growing in the scientific literature. However, there is a general lack of research concerning management perceptions of companies' EUE, especially compared to research on households. This study examines management perceptions of companies as energy consumers in Slovenia. Data were collected using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodology. The major finding is that awareness of the importance of RES is quite low among Slovenian companies. Furthermore, a large proportion of companies do not behave in accordance with EUE. One reason could be that too much attention is given to economic goals such as profit, while environmental and objectives concerning RES and EUE are neglected.