Solar Simplified's Consumer Perceptions Report 2020 Uncovers Upfront Costs Are Biggest Roadblock to Solar Energy Adoption

CHICAGO, February 22, 2021 (Newswire.com) - Solar Simplified, a platform driving accessibility, transparency, and mainstream adoption of solar energy, today released the findings from their Consumer Perceptions of the Solar Industry Report 2020. 

In November 2020, U.S. consumers who owned homes, had energy bills over $300 per month on average, and did not have solar panels installed on their homes were surveyed to better understand what they think about solar energy, their experiences interacting with the industry, and to uncover opportunities to educate consumers.

Key Findings: 

• Decreasing upfront costs would substantially improve adoption rates. 27% of respondents said the upfront cost would need to decrease before they got involved. Yet other solar options such as shared or community solar do not have any upfront costs, surfacing an education gap in our respondents.
• Lack of budget is the most common factor for not getting solar. Of people who considered getting solar but did not speak to a company about doing so, 35% said they did not have the budget to get started. For those who did speak with companies, that number fell by half to 18%, demonstrating that consumers are either misinformed or making assumptions. 
• Consumers recognize solar leads to savings. Our study found 78% of respondents believe solar can reduce their energy bills.
• Consumers do not know about community and shared solar programs. Only 20% of respondents believe they can get solar energy without installing panels on their own homes, which means the majority of our respondents were not aware of community or shared options. Fortunately, 88% said they would consider solar energy if they could get solar without installing panels, indicating there's a demand for more solar energy through community programs. 

"The insight that decreasing upfront costs would have the biggest impact on solar adoption and that just 20% of consumers are aware of shared solar programs was eye-opening," said Aviv Shalgi, CEO of Solar Simplified. "This is where the industry's educational challenges are prominent because with options like community solar, there are no upfront costs or need for solar panel installation. This presents a vast opportunity in the market for community solar programs to guide consumers on how they can benefit from solar energy." 

To view a full copy of the report, please visit: https://www.solarsimplified.com/media/consumer-perceptions-report-2020

Media Contact 

Holly Hitchcock

Front Lines Media

669.247.6521

Source: Solar Simplified