Product Innovation to Increase Low-to-Moderate-Income Customers' Adoption of Community Solar PV

Technical Report · Fri Sep 06 04:00:00 EDT 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2439371· OSTI ID:2439371

Thani, Zahra ^[1]; Rivera, Yesenia ^[2]; Ford, Jake ^[3]; Eddowes, Diana ^[2]

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1. Energy Allies, Cambridge, MA (United States); Energy Allies
2. Energy Allies, Cambridge, MA (United States)
3. Solstice Initiative, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)

This study aims to comprehensively analyze community solar project preferences for consumers and suppliers by conducting three distinct analyses. First we analyze the predictors of community solar contract adoption to understand how individual priorities affect the probability of adoption. Using an original data set of survey responses from potential community solar customers, we analyzed the predictors of contract adoption by employing a weighted logit model. We find that individuals who were previously familiar with community solar projects were significantly more likely to adopt than those who were not familiar. Secondly, a survey of community solar developers and financiers identified industry perceived barriers to community solar access and inclusion. Thirdly, we gathered payment performance information from community solar initiatives to measure how financial risks are perceived and how they interact with customer demographics. Our study is beneficial to the public by providing insights into the drivers and barriers of community solar adoption and sheds light on the importance of understanding individual priorities in designing effective community solar policies. The community solar industry has changed significantly since the beginning of this project. The industry continues to grow at a rapid rate, with an additional 7 gigawatts expected to come online between 2022 and 2027. With federal pressure to meet climate goals, as the harms of climate change continue to impact everybody, legislators are looking to community solar as a method to achieving their states energy policy goals. These new policies that push for low-to-moderate inclusion, coupled with the increase in community solar capacity illustrate a new era for the community solar industry. A number of policies have arisen in the last few months that push for more inclusive practices including the groundbreaking Solar for All program run by the EPA. The research created a “best practice” contract that can then be used, in conjunction with the manuscript and validated study, to pitch the industry on a more inclusive community solar product.

• Research Organization: Energy Allies, Cambridge, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• Contributing Organization: Solstice Power Technologies
• DOE Contract Number: EE0008757
• OSTI ID: 2439371
• Report Number(s): DOE-SETO-ENERGYALLIES--8757
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
Community Solar
Consumer Protection