Rooftop solar incentives remain effective for low- and moderate-income adoption
Date Published |
04/2022
|
---|---|
Publication Type | Journal Article
|
Author | |
---|---|
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112881
|
Abstract |
Financial incentives for rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption have declined in the United States over time by policy design. Incentive phase-down can efficiently promote early adoption and avoid ineffective payments to late adopters. However, incentive phase-down may exclude low- and moderate-income (LMI) households from realizing the same financial benefits from PV adoption as high-income early adopters. Here, data from two state-level LMI PV incentive programs are analyzed to test whether incentives still drive PV adoption among LMI households. As a first order approximation, the analysis suggests that incentives drove adoption that would not otherwise have happened in about 80% of cases. To the extent that policymakers prioritize PV adoption equity as part of the emerging energy justice policy agenda, the results suggest that ongoing incentive support for LMI adoption may be merited. |
Notes |
This is a pre-print version of an article published in Energy Policy. |
Journal |
Energy Policy
|
Volume |
163
|
Year of Publication |
2022
|
URL | |
Organizations | |
Research Areas | |
File(s) | |
Download citation |