Solar power and policy powerlessness − perceptions of persuasion in distributed residential solar energy policy development

Genevieve Simpson,David Goodfield

doi:10.1051/rees/2017024

Abstract

Distributed residential solar energy (photovoltaic) technologies have been praised as a mechanism to not only increase the penetration of renewable energy but engage the community in a clean energy revolution. In spite of this it is unclear how much potential there is for stakeholders to influence processes around the adoption of solar energy, including policy development and regulation. As part of a wider research project assessing the social acceptance of residential solar energy in Western Australia a variety of stakeholders, including public servants, network operators, Members of Parliament, energy advocates, renewable energy industry members and community members, were asked whether they thought they had the potential to influence solar policy. The objective of this research was to highlight positions of influence over policy development. In total 23 interviews with regional Western Australian householders and 32 interviews with members of industry and government were undertaken between May and October 2015. Most respondents believed that they had previously, or could in future, influence solar policy by taking advantage of networks of influence. However, stakeholders perceived as having policy influence did not necessarily demonstrate the capacity to influence policy beyond providing information to decision-makers, namely Cabinet members. Instead, networks of renewable energy advocates, industry and community members could apply political pressure through petitions, media coverage and liaising with parliamentarians to develop support for policy changes. Furthermore, while policies for the promotion of solar energy, and renewable energy more generally, could be implemented at various levels of government, only those policies delivered at the state level could address socio-political barriers to renewable energy adoption. These barriers include: a lack of political will and funding to overcome technical issues with network connection; reductions in fossil fuel subsidies to encourage an “even playing field”; and removal of regulatory barriers for innovative renewable energy solutions.

Highlights

Governments internationally have established policies for the promotion of renewable energy in order to meet emissions reduction targets
The findings presented here are part of a larger body of research considering the social acceptance of residential solar energy in Western Australia, from the perspective of community, industry and government stakeholders
A small number of community members raised an awareness of renewable energy advocacy groups, with householders signing petitions relating to renewable energy, including placing pressure on the government to maintain a high gigawatt hour target under Australia’s Renewable Energy Target and maintain Western Australia’s AU40 cent per kilowatt hour feed-in tariff

Summary

Introduction

Governments internationally have established policies for the promotion of renewable energy in order to meet emissions reduction targets. Like many other nations, has instituted a number of financial and marketbased mechanisms to promote renewable energy investment, including a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard, the Renewable Energy Target [1], and state-based premium feed-in tariffs [2] to support residential solar energy adoption. In the absence of generous financial incentive policies, renewable energy adoption rates have slowed for both large-scale and small-scale systems, in spite of the efficient economic returns on system investment [3].

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