Residential PV Adoption

Abstract

This thesis researches the influence of various communication channels, considering the psychological aspect of consumers, to the adoption process of residential PV system, using agent-based modeling case study in the Netherlands. Agent-based model is used to explore how PV adoption dynamic behavior emerges as the result of information transfer between individuals on a new technology. Diffusion of innovation theory is used as the basic framework on how the usage of new technology can spread and theory of planned behavior is utilized to get better understanding on consumer's psychological decision making process. Further discussion with a representative of power utility and interviews with 2 PV installers are done to obtain more knowledge on the system. The study shows that mass media has important role in spreading information to speed-up the adoption, more importantly in providing initial knowledge to households that have not had interest on PV yet. The role of information is further shown as there is indication that households' interest tend to increase with more knowledge available on the internet, and at the same time, leads to the increase of adoption rate. A crucial role of communication channel is to draw PV installer together with potential adopter. Finally, the adoption rate is strongly slowed down by household's basic reluctance on new technology and lower income level.