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Residential solar water heating: California adopters and their experiences

Author

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  • Sanguinetti, Angela
  • Outcault, Sarah
  • Alston-Stepnitz, Eli
  • Moezzi, Mithra
  • Ingle, Aaron

Abstract

Solar water heating provides domestic hot water with lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to more typical natural-gas water heating. Solar water heating has a long history, particularly in places where the climate is favorable, such as California where state-backed incentive programs have been successful in creating small bursts of adoption. However, widespread adoption of solar water heating has not occurred in California despite these conditions. This research surveyed 227 single-family households with solar water heating across the state of California to understand their motivations and experiences, and draw implications regarding barriers to adoption. The survey explored households’ experiences across five stages of adoption, as outlined in Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory: Knowledge, Persuasion, Decision, Implementation, and Confirmation. Findings revealed challenges at each stage. Most notably, prevalent disappointment in lower-than-expected energy and bill savings (31%) and high rates of technical problems (41%) appear to be the most significant issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanguinetti, Angela & Outcault, Sarah & Alston-Stepnitz, Eli & Moezzi, Mithra & Ingle, Aaron, 2021. "Residential solar water heating: California adopters and their experiences," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt4rw591ft, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt4rw591ft
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    Cited by:

    1. Wan Afin Fadzlin & Md. Hasanuzzaman & Nasrudin Abd Rahim & Norridah Amin & Zafar Said, 2022. "Global Challenges of Current Building-Integrated Solar Water Heating Technologies and Its Prospects: A Comprehensive Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-42, July.
    2. Mohyla, Marek & Hrubesova, Eva & Martinkauppi, Birgitta & Mäkiranta, Anne & Tuomi, Ville, 2024. "Numerical simulation of the thermal response of seabed sediments to geothermal cycles in Suvilahti, Finland," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    3. Łukasz Amanowicz, 2021. "Peak Power of Heat Source for Domestic Hot Water Preparation (DHW) for Residential Estate in Poland as a Representative Case Study for the Climate of Central Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-15, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social and Behavioral Sciences; solar water heating; residential water heating; household water; consumer adoption; barriers;
    All these keywords.

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