Scoping Study for Solar Consumer Analysis - Early Adopters, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

ANTARES performed market research that focused primarily on early adopters of various solar technologies. Photovoltaics (for power and lighting), concentrated solar power, solar hot water heaters, and solar space heaters were the technologies considered in the market research.

Consumers are divided generally into two groups - residential and non-residential (industrial, institutional, commercial, and governmental consumers comprising the latter group); thus the analysis was presented in two parts. The questions answered by this market research were 1) What demographic characteristics do early adopters of solar technologies have in common that differentiate them from the mainstream population?, 2) What energy service experiences (e.g., numerous extended power outages), opinions, and priorities do early adopters of solar technologies have in common that differentiate them from non-early adopters?, 3) Do the energy service preferences of early adopters differ from those of non-early-adopters?, and 4) What changes in solar technologies are likely to bring more mainstream consumers, who are in many ways similar to the early adopters, into the market for solar technologies?