Why Do People Go Solar? Shade-Free Locations and Biden Incentives

In-depth interviews of two families that purchased solar for their homes offer surprising insights into why they buy.

For many years, the demographic in the United States that "led" early solar adoption was the libertarian off-grid crowd. They saw solar as a path to less government intervention in their lives and freedom from what they saw as utility monopolies. And they had the extra cash to put into what was a hefty investment for solar panels and batteries.

In 2024, however, the solar landscape has transformed, literally. Panels are shockingly affordable. I saw a 550-watt panel yesterday in Florida, for example, priced at $270.

Beyond that, however, solar buyers appear to be much more sophisticated. They're doing the ROI math themselves, especially the ones like myself who are moving into their second or third purchase of a solar package.

I won't give too much away. Read the article yourself here.

A couple of things jumped out at me. First, the energy incentives from the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act are front and center in buyers' minds. They're taking full advantage of rebates and tax credits.

Second, they're diving into the technical details of where panels are installed, the solar orientation of their home, and how the panels will perform. One buyer notes, for instance, that he bought solar for his new home because no trees are shading it, so it saved him almost half the cost on panel square footage.

A good read, for anybody in the Solar biz, or those curious about when and why people buy.