Mapping Solar Mindsets: Socioeconomic Predictors of Rooftop Solar Reception

Rooftop solar is one of the fastest growing sources of energy generation in the United States, offering owners lower electric bills and greater independence from the grid. However, it faces two ongoing challenges that limit growth: a slowdown in demand and large gaps in installation rates along racial and income lines. These gaps persist even after accounting for factors that correlate with income and race, such as solar installation infrastructure. Together, these challenges threaten to both inhibit progress on climate mitigation and worsen existing energy inequality. This article assesses possible drivers of both problems using a large nationally representative survey focused on consumer attitudes towards rooftop solar. I find that perceived affordability is the greatest concern across all subgroups and that Americans are, on average, pro-rooftop solar across all dimensions. Most notably in light of existing explanations for socioeconomic divides, Black respondents are more pro-rooftop-solar than white respondents. Important dividing lines on solar attitudes include homeownership, partisanship, age, education, and geographic solar potential.