MARKET FOR SOLAR COOLING: PERCEPTIONS, RESPONSE AND STRATEGY IMPLICATIONS.

This paper evaluates market reaction to the solar cooling concept. It isolates and shows the importance of noneconomic issues, such as system modernness, reliability and power-rationing protection, on market receptivity. The paper also shows that the industrial cooling decision process typically includes a number of individuals, from engineers to top managers to outside consultants, who have different attitudes toward system characteristics and who perceive relative system advantages differently. The implication of these differences for a solar cooling marketing program is described. The analysis is positioned in the context of an industrial marketing decision support system which pinpoints areas of improvement in industrial product design and provides a meaningful basis for the development of industrial communications strategies.