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Field Before After
Trial Status in_development completed
Abstract The market for residential solar panels in the United States is growing rapidly, bolstered by substantial government support at the federal, state, and local levels. Yet there are concerns that this support is primarily benefiting wealthier households, due to different electricity rates, liquidity constraints, landlord-tenant issues, length of tenancy, and perhaps even preferences (Borenstein and Davis 2016, Borenstein 2017). This study examines the effect of information provision and preferred financing on the adoption of residential solar panels by low and moderate income (LMI) households. Specifically, we randomize LMI municipalities in Connecticut into those receiving a behavioral intervention focused on "community-based pro-social" messaging and "financial-based" messaging. At the same time, we are exploiting an income eligibility discontinuity for subsidized financing to LMI participants. We will measure the effect of the different messaging approaches above and below this discontinuity on the demand for residential solar systems in LMI municipalities. We will thus quantify the effects of different potential policies for encouraging the adoption of solar systems in LMI municipalities. The market for residential solar panels in the United States is growing rapidly, bolstered by substantial government support at the federal, state, and local levels. Yet there are concerns that this support is primarily benefiting wealthier households, due to different electricity rates, liquidity constraints, landlord-tenant issues, length of tenancy, and perhaps even preferences (Borenstein and Davis 2016, Borenstein 2017). This study examines the effect of information provision on the adoption of residential solar panels by low and moderate income (LMI) municipalities. Specifically, we randomize municipalities in Connecticut into those receiving a behavioral intervention focused on "community-based pro-social" messaging and "financial-based" messaging.
Trial End Date July 15, 2018 December 31, 2019
Last Published May 01, 2018 01:08 PM February 01, 2025 09:56 PM
Study Withdrawn No
Intervention Completion Date September 25, 2018
Data Collection Complete Yes
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization) 29 municipalities
Was attrition correlated with treatment status? No
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms 9 municipalities received self-interest messaging, 2) 10 municipalities received prosocial messaging, and 3) 10 control municipalities
Public Data URL https://github.com/MartenOvaere/Self_Interest_Attracts_More_Sunlight
Is there a restricted access data set available on request? No
Program Files Yes
Program Files URL https://github.com/MartenOvaere/Self_Interest_Attracts_More_Sunlight
Data Collection Completion Date December 31, 2019
Is data available for public use? Yes
Primary Outcomes (End Points) The key outcome variables are solar adoptions, and mediating factors that influence adoptions. The key outcome variables are solar adoptions, and moderating factors that influence adoptions.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms 12 municipalities receive "community-based messaging" 12 municipalities receive "financial-based messaging" 12 municipalities are in the control 10 municipalities receive "community-based messaging" 10 municipalities receive "financial-based messaging" 10 municipalities are in the control
Keyword(s) Environment And Energy Environment And Energy
Building on Existing Work No
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Other Primary Investigators

Field Before After
Affiliation Ghent University
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Field Before After
Affiliation Duke University New York University
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Papers

Field Before After
Paper Abstract This study examines how messaging approaches in a prosocial intervention can influence not only the effectiveness of the intervention but also, contagion afterward. Our investigation focuses on leveraging two motivations for solar adoption: self-interest and prosocial. Using data from a natural field experiment in 29 municipalities containing 684,000 people, we find that self-interest messaging is twice as effective in inducing solar adoption both during and after the intervention. Adoptions under self-interest messaging have 10% higher net present value, but prosocial messaging increases the likelihood that adopters recommend solar to their friends and neighbors. Income moderates the effectiveness of self-interest messaging, performing much better in high-income communities than low- and moderate-income communities. There was no significant difference across income groups for prosocial messaging. These results provide guidance to policy makers aiming to encourage prosocial behavior across all income groups.
Paper Citation B. Bollinger, K.T. Gillingham, M. Ovaere, Field experimental evidence shows that self-interest attracts more sunlight, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 117 (34) 20503-20510
Paper URL https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2004428117
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Post Trial Documents

Field Before After
Description Explanation for Departures from Pre-analysis Plan
File
Explanation for Departures from Preanalysis Plan.pdf
MD5: 9cc90c474d24c85e1f790380071856b0
SHA1: 6db6ae1862a736702231a19260ca6949d45e65d5
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Fields Removed

Other Primary Investigators

Field Value
Affiliation Duke University
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