The future adoption of community shared solar: An unlabeled choice experiment in Guangdong, China

Abstract

Community shared solar (CSS) program has great potentials in contributing to the complete decarbonization of the power sectors worldwide. Few research have focused on its potential diffusion from the user perspective. This paper fills the gap by conducting a survey-based unlabeled choice experiment in the Guangdong Province, China to investigate the determinants of potential users' willingness to participate in CSS programs. We analyzed the survey data using a random parameter logit model. Our results show that users are more likely to participate in CSS programs with lower upfront payment, trialability, shorter payback period, a public utility as provider and larger impact on climate change mitigation. However, they are likely to accept longer payback period in CSS programs with higher participation rate because of the potential benefit from interpersonal communication. Users' previous knowledge of CSS programs and income will also increase their willingness to participate in CSS programs with higher upfront payment. Our results provide important implications for designing policies and business models to promote the distributive renewable energy in China.