Abstract
This research examines the decision factors influencing adoption of residential solar electric power systems in upstate New York. New York has a goal to provide 100% of electric energy in the State through renewable resources, which includes solar electricity, by 2030. Thus, identifying the most important decision factors may be useful in understanding potential means of promoting solar technology adoption. Through an online survey of homeowners in upstate New York who have installed residential solar systems, the research examined the importance of decision factors influencing the decision to adopt and how factors have changed over time. The research finds that environmental motivations are slightly more important than economics and that perception of solar installers is also important to adopters. This work contributes new insights to the field of research examining solar and renewable energy technology adoption at the residential scale, addresses the role of policy in promoting solar adoption, and provides insights for developers and others looking to enhance the rates of solar technology adoption at the residential scale.
Highlights
The photovoltaic effect, the means of harnessing the sun’s power by transforming it into electricity, was first discovered in 1839
In the United States, solar electric technology adoption is currently incentivized through a federal investment tax credit (ITC) to encourage solar system adoption, the ITC decreased after 2019 and is set to be eliminated for residential systems by 2022
This study examined solar technology adoption at the residential scale by conducting an online survey that forced respondents to rank decision factors that motivated their choice to adopt
Summary
The photovoltaic effect, the means of harnessing the sun’s power by transforming it into electricity, was first discovered in 1839. It was not until the last two decades that solar electric systems became widely utilized for electrical power production at both the residential and utility scale. The state of New York has invested heavily in promoting solar systems by subsidizing costs for residential, commercial, and industrial energy users. These incentives are spurred by aggressive targets for renewable energy production, of which solar is a component. The state of New York has set an ambitious goal of having 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, and one component of this involves a target for 6 gigawatts (GW) of solar installed in the state by 2025 [1]
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