L R AS Published on Sunday 1 October 2023 - n° 459 - Categories:panels, European countries
How can we encourage homeowners to install solar panels?
Swiss researchers have been looking for the most effective way to encourage homeowners in the town of Schaffhausen to install solar photovoltaic systems on their roofs. Schaffhausen was the obvious choice
by an electricity price very close to the European average.
To achieve this, they sent different letters to two groups of residents. The first highlighted social motivations such as contributing to the climate, less dependence on gas or oil, etc. The second appealed to personal interest by mentioning what the homeowner would have gained by installing panels, and by quantifying the annual production and therefore the gain that he would have obtained with panels.
15% of homeowners changed their minds after receiving the second letter and an explanation from a neutral public body. On the other hand, the first letter activating social standards and showing that neighbours had installed solar panels convinced 6.5% of people.
The authors of the study were pleased to note that the boost for an installation had not been caused by government aid and had not required a change in policy or subsidies for their implementation.
Swissolar, Switzerland's photovoltaic association, announced in June that the country had installed more than 1 GW of photovoltaics last year. Photovoltaic demand for the third year rose by 40%. Switzerland recorded 4,134 MW of total photovoltaic solar capacity at the end of 2022, according to the most recent data.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/09/28/self-interest-key-to-maximizing-rooftop-solar-installations/
PV Magazine of 28 September 2023
