During his career as an energy consultant, Riccardo Delmastro— Head of Energy at Solutions30 Italia and author of Manual of Vertical Borehole Geothermal Systems —has consistently relied on objective data to support energy-saving and production solutions. Yet, he observed that clients’ final decisions were not always based solely on numbers. Perceptions , opinions, and intangible factors often played a decisive role. In a 2007 meeting with colleagues and a client, a pivotal question emerged : Why is photovoltaic energy often preferred over geothermal, despite its economic and ecological limitations? This reflection led to the identification of three key components that influence corporate energy investment decisions: ECOnomy – Cost and return on investment ECOlogy – Environmental impact, energy savings, and emissions reduction ECOperception – The symbolic value and social acceptance of the investment The third factor, ECOperception , ...