Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2018
Publication Title
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Abstract
In Santiago, Chile, the market conditions are seemingly excellent for the household adoption of photovoltaic (PV) technology, yet the uptake is negligible. To explore this paradox, the authors conducted a Delphi study to solicit the knowledge of a panel of Chilean PV experts. These efforts yielded 26 factors—both motivations and barriers—impacting the diffusion of PV in Santiago. Of the 26, experts were in consensus on the relative importance of 21. The literature suggests that diffusion of PV technologies is influenced by complex technical, economic, and social factors. Similarly, the experts saw influence from financial, environmental, and energy supply (e.g., electrical reliability) factors. They saw emergent barriers to adoption as being financial, technical, institutional, and knowledge factors. They considered the most important factors influencing adoption to be financial motivations (e.g., subsidies) and financial barriers (e.g., high upfront costs); they considered the least important factors to be environmental motivations (e.g., environmental stewardship) and technical barriers (e.g., concerns with roof mounting). With this knowledge, the authors develop an adoption framework for household PV that describes the interaction among the identified motivations and barriers. This framework informs policy recommendations for Santiago, Chile, and contributes to the body of literature exploring the interconnected systems of factors that influence civil infrastructure in general and PV adoption in particular.
Keywords
Adoption, Diffusion, Household solar, Photovoltaic (PV), Chile, Barriers.
Volume
144
Issue
6
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001483
ISSN
1943-7862
Recommended Citation
Walters, Jeffrey P.; Kaminsky, Jessica; and Huepe, Claudio, "Factors Influencing Household Solar Adoption in Santiago, Chile" (2018). Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering. 72.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/mece_fac/72
Included in
Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons, Development Studies Commons, Energy Systems Commons, Systems Engineering Commons
Comments
Originally published in Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 144(6).
This material may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the American Society of Civil Engineers. This material may be found at https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001483