Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption
Residential adoption of solar photovoltaics (PV) is spreading rapidly, supported by policy initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels. Potential adopters navigate increasingly complex decision-making landscapes in their path to adoption. Much is known about the individual-level drivers of s...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa6da6 |
| _version_ | 1797748239233974272 |
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| author | D Cale Reeves Varun Rai Robert Margolis |
| author_facet | D Cale Reeves Varun Rai Robert Margolis |
| author_sort | D Cale Reeves |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Residential adoption of solar photovoltaics (PV) is spreading rapidly, supported by policy initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels. Potential adopters navigate increasingly complex decision-making landscapes in their path to adoption. Much is known about the individual-level drivers of solar PV diffusion that steer adopters through this process, but relatively little is known about the evolution of these drivers as solar PV markets mature. By understanding the evolution of emerging solar PV markets over time, stakeholders in the diffusion of solar PV can increase policy effectiveness and reduce costs. This analysis uses survey data to compare two adjacent markets across a range of relevant characteristics, then models changes in the importance of local vs cosmopolitan information sources by combining theory relating market maturity to adopter behavior with event-history techniques. In younger markets, earlier, innovative adoptions that are tied to a preference for cosmopolitan information sources are more prevalent than expected, suggesting a frustrated demand for solar PV that segues into adoptions fueled by local information preferences contemporary with similar adoptions in older markets. The analysis concludes with policy recommendations to leverage changing consumer information preferences as markets mature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:03:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc5e6e187f584687a28e58de970b7c11 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:03:03Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc5e6e187f584687a28e58de970b7c112023-08-09T14:33:59ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262017-01-0112707401110.1088/1748-9326/aa6da6Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoptionD Cale Reeves0Varun Rai1Robert Margolis2LBJ School of Public Affairs , The University of Texas at Austin, 2315 Red River St Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.LBJ School of Public Affairs , The University of Texas at Austin, 2315 Red River St Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Department of Mechanical Engineering , The University of Texas at Austin, 204 E Dean Keeton St Austin, TX 78712, United States of AmericaNational Renewable Energy Laboratory, Washington DC Office , 901 D St SW #930, Washington, DC 20024, United States of AmericaResidential adoption of solar photovoltaics (PV) is spreading rapidly, supported by policy initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels. Potential adopters navigate increasingly complex decision-making landscapes in their path to adoption. Much is known about the individual-level drivers of solar PV diffusion that steer adopters through this process, but relatively little is known about the evolution of these drivers as solar PV markets mature. By understanding the evolution of emerging solar PV markets over time, stakeholders in the diffusion of solar PV can increase policy effectiveness and reduce costs. This analysis uses survey data to compare two adjacent markets across a range of relevant characteristics, then models changes in the importance of local vs cosmopolitan information sources by combining theory relating market maturity to adopter behavior with event-history techniques. In younger markets, earlier, innovative adoptions that are tied to a preference for cosmopolitan information sources are more prevalent than expected, suggesting a frustrated demand for solar PV that segues into adoptions fueled by local information preferences contemporary with similar adoptions in older markets. The analysis concludes with policy recommendations to leverage changing consumer information preferences as markets mature.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa6da6solar photovoltaicinformation channelstechnology adoptiondecision makingdiffusion of innovationssoft costs |
| spellingShingle | D Cale Reeves Varun Rai Robert Margolis Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption Environmental Research Letters solar photovoltaic information channels technology adoption decision making diffusion of innovations soft costs |
| title | Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption |
| title_full | Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption |
| title_short | Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption |
| title_sort | evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar pv adoption |
| topic | solar photovoltaic information channels technology adoption decision making diffusion of innovations soft costs |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa6da6 |
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