Foresight for public policy of solar energy industry in Taiwan: An application of delphi method and Q methodology

This research aims at investigating of official´s and stakeholders´ patterns of cognitions toward policy foresight of solar energy industry in Taiwan by using Delphi survey and Q methodology. Foresight approaches in Science & Technology policy have been implemented by many countries to search the developing opportunities and uncertainty in the future. This is one response to the policy priority-setting and resources allocated. Taiwan has well foundation to develop the solar energy industry, the government also regard it as the main promotion emerging energy. However, foresight researches on the solar energy industry are insufficient. Hence, this study is aims to find out what the solar energy industry will be in the future. Q methodology often used to explore the multidimensional viewpoint issues, which is helpful for the interviewees to point out the real point of view on the research subject. This study makes sense of the types of solar energy industry policy foresight by using Q method that is combination of questionnaires, interview, and statistic analysis. Furthermore, for forming the Q statements, this study adopt Delphi method as a tool to be authorized by the subjects within expertise, and subsequently stakeholders´ perceptive types of Policy Foresight will be sorted out.