Can citizen-financed photovoltaic projects support the energy transition? Experimental evidence from Swiss households

Abstract

Photovoltaics (PV) is a widely accepted technology that has a vital role to play in the energy transition. However, residential and community-owned installations are not accessible to everyone. Citizen-financed PV projects (CiFi PV) offer opportunities for tenants, individuals with limited upfront investment capacity, and homeowners with unsuitable rooftops to invest in PV installations. To evaluate the attractiveness of CiFi PV and its influencing factors, we conducted two online experiments with representative samples of the Swiss population. The first experiment (N = 807) analyzed the impact of four project characteristics (minimal investment, pay-out model, rooftop type, provider) on perceived attractiveness of CiFi PV projects. The second experiment (N = 512) examined the effect of seven motivational frames and a control frame on the same dependent variable. Both studies also evaluated willingness to invest. Over half of respondents were willing to invest in CiFi PV projects, primarily to support solar power and renewable energy generation. The main deterrent was uncertainty about the provider's trustworthiness. Neither project characteristics nor motivational frames significantly influenced perceived attractiveness. While financial and societal impact motivations were significant in the first experiment, the motivational frames in the second did not significantly affect attractiveness. These results indicate that CiFi PV projects have a strong diffusion potential because they can effectively engage various kinds of individuals in terms of socio-demographic and motivational attributes. To do so, there must be more of such projects, and they must be made more visible by practitioners and policymakers. Enhancing regulatory framework conditions can further improve project development.