Rooftop solar incentives remain effective for low- and moderate-income adoption

O'Shaughnessy, Eric

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112881

Rooftop solar incentives remain effective for low- and moderate-income adoption

Journal Article · Sun Feb 27 23:00:00 EST 2022 · Energy Policy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112881· OSTI ID:1855221

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Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Financial incentives for rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption have declined in the United States over time by policy design. Incentive phase-down can efficiently promote early adoption and avoid ineffective payments to late adopters. Furthermore, incentive phase-down may exclude low- and moderate-income (LMI) households from realizing the same financial benefits from PV adoption as high-income early adopters. Here, data from two state-level LMI PV incentive programs are analyzed to test whether incentives still drive PV adoption among LMI households. As a first order approximation, the analysis suggests that incentives drove adoption that would not otherwise have happened in about 80% of cases. To the extent that policymakers prioritize PV adoption equity as part of the emerging energy justice policy agenda, the results suggest that ongoing incentive support for LMI adoption may be merited.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1855221

Journal Information:: Energy Policy, Journal Name: Energy Policy Vol. 163; ISSN 0301-4215

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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