An Aggregate Perspective on the Geo-spatial Distribution of Residential Solar Panels

Residential solar panels in the United States (U.S.) are inefficiently distributed terms of optimizing solar-electrical production. Controlling for local electricity generation potential (insolation), residential share electrical consumption is relatively higher cloudier locales like Pacific Northwest and Northeast than it sunnier areas Western U.S. Florida. Rebates designed to increase adoption places Florida Texas with low shares ineffective may lead net decreases if housing complementary. This because increases faster response a decline effective prices actual demand themselves, thus driving down despite additional installations. Through lens county-level structural model housing, electricity, panels, we find that this phenomenon especially prevalent high cooling services (e.g., air conditioning, refrigeration, etc.) due numbers degree days. Inability effectively store solar-produced be blame. Our results suggest future policies should subsidize nascent battery technologies place direct solar-panel installation rebates goal consumption.