Another thesis chapter has been published! My latest publication examines the effects of financial incentives on the adoption of residential solar energy systems. The results suggest that financial incentives lead to an increase in the adoption of solar systems by making systems cheaper and they also prompt people to make the decision to install as incentives are only available for a limited time. The people who adopted systems because financial incentives were available were different from those people who installed systems when incentives were not available. One potential problem with providing incentives is that many people choose to install systems because their friends and family have told them about the financial benefits of systems, however people are generally more satisfied with their systems if they do their own research.
This paper was published in Energy Research and Social Science. While this is a relatively new journal it is increasingly recognised as a leader in the field of energy policy and society. My paper is available for free until June 27.