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Strike while the rebate is hot: Savvy consumers and strategic technology adoption timing

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  • Reeves, D.C.
  • Rai, V.

Abstract

The California Solar Initiative (CSI) rebate program disbursed more than two billion dollars in incentives to install solar photovoltaics (PV) over roughly a decade while “stepping-down” rebate levels as installed capacity goals were reached. The exact dates (i.e., timing) of the stepdown events were not known, yet recent analyses find evidence of an “announcement effect” wherein consumer adoption is “pulled-forward” across these stepdown events. We analyze unique data from our recent household-level survey on the decision-making process for 194 of these very consumers within a narrow window of eight CSI rebate stepdown events, comparing the decision-making processes of pulled-forward consumers to their counterparts that adopt just after a rebate stepdown.

Suggested Citation

  • Reeves, D.C. & Rai, V., 2018. "Strike while the rebate is hot: Savvy consumers and strategic technology adoption timing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 325-335.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:121:y:2018:i:c:p:325-335
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.06.045
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