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Examining the Key Drivers of Residential Solar Adoption in Upstate New York

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  • Chelsea Schelly

    (Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49930, USA)

  • James C. Letzelter

    (GenMetrix LLC, 260 1st Ave S, Suite 200 Box 142, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA)

Abstract

This research examines the decision factors influencing adoption of residential solar electric power systems in upstate New York. New York has a goal to provide 100% of electric energy in the State through renewable resources, which includes solar electricity, by 2030. Thus, identifying the most important decision factors may be useful in understanding potential means of promoting solar technology adoption. Through an online survey of homeowners in upstate New York who have installed residential solar systems, the research examined the importance of decision factors influencing the decision to adopt and how factors have changed over time. The research finds that environmental motivations are slightly more important than economics and that perception of solar installers is also important to adopters. This work contributes new insights to the field of research examining solar and renewable energy technology adoption at the residential scale, addresses the role of policy in promoting solar adoption, and provides insights for developers and others looking to enhance the rates of solar technology adoption at the residential scale.

Suggested Citation

  • Chelsea Schelly & James C. Letzelter, 2020. "Examining the Key Drivers of Residential Solar Adoption in Upstate New York," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:6:p:2552-:d:336312
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. L'Her, G.F. & Osborne, A.G. & Flanagan, R.R. & Deinert, M.R., 2024. "Localized economic and environmental benefits of residential solar in the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    3. Best, Rohan & Chareunsy, Andrea, 2022. "The impact of income on household solar panel uptake: Exploring diverse results using Australian data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    4. Outcault, Sarah & Sanguinetti, Angela & Nelson, Leslie, 2022. "Technology characteristics that influence adoption of residential distributed energy resources: Adapting Rogers’ framework," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    5. Olivella, Jordi & Domenech, Bruno & Calleja, Gema, 2021. "Potential of implementation of residential photovoltaics at city level: The case of London," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 577-585.
    6. Zhang, Yanquan & Chang, Ruidong & Zuo, Jian & Shabunko, Veronika & Zheng, Xian, 2023. "Regional disparity of residential solar panel diffusion in Australia: The roles of socio-economic factors," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 808-819.
    7. Bilal Khalid & Mariusz Urbański & Monika Kowalska-Sudyka & Elżbieta Wysłocka & Barbara Piontek, 2021. "Evaluating Consumers’ Adoption of Renewable Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-15, November.
    8. Familia, Thomas & Horne, Christine, 2022. "Customer trust in their utility company and interest in household-level battery storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).

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