Assessing the Design, Adoption, and Impact of State Solar Financial Incentives

Funding: GW Institute for Analysis of Solar Energy

Summary: As the nation considers how to transition to a clean energy economy, it appears committed to utilizing financial incentives to encourage adoption of solar and other renewable technology. States have shown substantial policy leadership and innovation as they design and implement solar incentive programs.

This research has three parts. The first catalogues and assesses the design and variation of state incentives, providing a research base for further analysis. The second assesses the impact of existing state incentives, in terms of program participation and project costs. This research will allow us to identify the characteristics of incentive design and implementation that are most likely to be successful in encouraging program participation and adoption of solar technology, while keeping down costs. The third part probes the diffusion of policy incentives, offering insights for advocates seeking expansion of state programs.