Public Resource
Poll: Voters Are Interested in Rooftop Solar, but See Barriers to Personal Adoption
Eva Brungard. Data for Progress
Nearly half of voters say that they’re interested in rooftop solar where they live; costs are both the primary incentive and biggest barrier, as Americans are eager to lower their electricity bills but are concerned about installation costs. Voters support net metering policies by a 68%-18% margin after reading a brief description of them, including arguments from supporters and opponents of net metering. Democrats (78% support / 12% oppose), independents (63% support / 19% oppose), and Republicans (59% support / 24%) all say that they support net metering by wide margins. Nearly half of voters (47%) say that they’re at least “somewhat” likely in the next five years to install solar panels on their home or ask their landlord to do so, including majorities of Latino voters (66%), voters under the age of 45 (64%), Black voters (57%), and Democrats (57%).