Nearly all U.S. adults – 97% – overestimate the costs of installing solar systems on their homes, while nearly 8 out of 10 of those who do not already have solar panels say they would install solar if cost were not a factor, according to the results of a recent survey from SunRun.
In partnership with Harris Interactive, the company conducted a nationwide poll assessing 2,211 U.S. residents' beliefs about the desirability and costs of installing a home solar system.
Four out of 10 U.S. adults believe that installing a home solar system requires $20,000 or more in up-front costs, SunRun says, noting that it and other firms offer solar leases that do not require upfront costs.
The vast majority of Americans are concerned about rising home energy costs from utility companies, as 95% of U.S. adults who do pay and/or are aware of their utility costs cited their rising utility rates as a concern. The survey also indicated that 44% of respondents would install solar within the next year if they knew cost were not a factor.
