Saving money is the biggest driver of residential solar adoption

New research from The Ohio State University reveals that financial benefits, not environmental motivations, are the strongest driver of residential solar adoption in the United States. And it’s a lack of awareness, not cost, that’s keeping community solar from reaching its full potential in the U.S.  

Published in Energy Research & Social Science, the study aimed to gauge public perception of rooftop and community solar and determine strategies to boost residential solar adoption around the country.   

“We were interested in understanding if there were any differences in how potential consumers approached different types of solar projects,” lead author Naseem Dillman-Hasso told pv magazine USA, “especially given that community solar is a newer means of distribution.” 

Study participants were more willing to adopt rooftop systems despite it often being easier to participate in community solar programs. The authors note that most respondents had taken very few actions toward adopting community solar, with most having never researched it. 

“Our results suggest that households may have low awareness of community solar and/or limited understanding of how it can benefit them,” the authors added.  

One of the key challenges to adoption is unique to community solar: the lack of immediate physical visibility. Seeing rooftop panels around the neighborhood helps normalize solar adoption and boosts the perceived benefits. But, without a comparable visual presence, it’s harder for community solar to catch up as it is perceived to indicate that few people are taking part in the program or that it’s a riskier technology.  

When comparing rooftop and community solar, survey participants rated the practical features of rooftop solar more positively than those of community solar. Still, regardless of the type of residential solar, financial considerations like saving money and avoiding rate hikes outweighed environmental or social benefits in driving interest.  

Researchers also found that owning a home and having a strong environmental identity predicted a higher willingness to adopt rooftop solar, whereas having a more socially responsible identity and liberal political views were correlated with willingness to adopt community solar.  

“Respondents rating environmental attributes for community solar higher than rooftop may reflect that they are taking into consideration things like economies of scale,” Dillman-Hasso said, though he noted that low levels of awareness around community solar programs make it tricky to determine a strong theory.  

Men were more likely than women to adopt rooftop solar, and older individuals of any gender were less interested overall. Unlike some prior studies, income did not predict one’s willingness to engage in residential solar programs.  

Still, Dillman-Hasso said, “ensuring that community solar is no more expensive than traditional utility means is especially important for renters and low-income households” to increase adoption rates, even if that isn’t the only solution. Information campaigns that highlight the practical benefits of solar are also needed

“Ensuring that information is comprehensive and easy to understand is important,” added Dillman-Hasso.  

This is particularly the case for community solar rollout, where benefits like energy savings, flexibility and easy enrollment aren’t as visible as shiny arrays on neighboring roofs.  

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