Neighborhood effects of rooftop solar support the energy transition

In brief

A study by researchers at the Universities of Passau and Lausanne found that rooftop solar installations can influence several environmentally beneficial decisions among nearby households. Using data from more than 260,000 households in the Swiss canton of Bern between 2008 and 2019, the researchers estimated that one additional photovoltaic system located 100 metres away raises a household’s probability of installing its own solar panels by about 2%. It also increases the likelihood of purchasing an electric vehicle by approximately 2.3%, while reducing annual electricity consumption by around 0.2%.

The effects become stronger at shorter distances and decline substantially as households are located farther apart. Researchers suggest that social norms are an important factor: visible solar installations may signal a local commitment to climate protection, encouraging neighbours either to adopt green technologies or conserve energy. The findings indicate that solar subsidies can produce wider benefits than the electricity generated by subsidised systems, because each installation may indirectly stimulate further low-carbon behaviour in the surrounding community.

Source: Tech Xplore

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