Project Name: Advancing Solar Innovation for Low- and Moderate-Income Households: Analysis of the Arizona Experience
Funding Opportunity: Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 2 – State Energy Strategies (SEEDS2-SES)
SunShot Subprogram: Soft Costs
Location: Tempe, AZ
SunShot Award Amount: $729,995
Awardee Cost Share: N/A

This project identifies key socioeconomic factors and social values that enable and constrain solar adoption in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities in Arizona. The team is developing an accessible and easy-to-understand database of social drivers for solar adoption and non-adoption in LMI communities. By closely studying the areas that represent a large portion of the state's population, this project provides insights regarding LMI adoption patterns that will not be observed in larger-scale national studies. In addition to assessing Arizona, the project will begin to compile driving factors for adoption in select communities within Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi.

APPROACH

The project team uses a custom web portal that that aggregates existing datasets pertaining to solar adoption in LMI communities, provides researchers with trend analysis capabilities, and standardizes project protocols for other states and communities. The portal allows the general public to share their stories of solar adoption and allows researchers using the same protocol in other communities to upload their results. This data provides a comprehensive picture of the drivers and outcomes of solar innovation for LMI households and neighborhoods

INNOVATION

This project will use all of the data collected to create a Social Solar Energy Atlas for Arizona. The Atlas can be used to inform the design of targeted policies to allow for higher rates of solar adoption among LMI communities, further expanding solar’s reach and making it more accessible for everyone.