Peer Influence in Residential Solar Adoption: New Research from Berkeley Lab

If all your friends got solar panels, would you do it too?

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has released two reports that highlight the influence of both residential and non-residential solar installations on nearby residential solar adoption rates. The first report, “The role of peer influence in rooftop solar adoption inequity in the United States,” explores the effects of residential peer influence on individual adoption of rooftop solar, focusing on how peer influence could explain the inequitable distribution of rooftop solar adoption across income groups. The report compares peer influence and solar adoption rates in low- versus high-income households and finds that peer influence is stronger within, rather than across, income groups.

The second report, “Impacts of non-residential solar on residential adoption decisions,” studies the influence of non-residential solar panels on residential solar adoption and finds that the presence of non-residential solar is associated with higher residential solar adoption rates. The results suggest that non-residential solar panels influence residential adoption decisions about as strongly as other residential solar panels.

In this webinar hosted by the Clean Energy States Alliance, report authors from Berkeley Lab presented their findings. Their presentations were followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Speakers:

• Galen Barbose, Berkeley Lab
• Eric O’Shaughnessy, Berkeley Lab
• Matt Ohloff, Clean Energy States Alliance (moderator)