Installing PV: Barriers and enablers experienced by non-residential property owners

Abstract

There is huge potential to increase installation of photovoltaics (PV) using the roofs of non-residential buildings. While barriers to and enablers of the adoption of PV in residential buildings are well studied, this is not the case for non-residential buildings. This article is intended to fill this research gap by mapping barriers to and enablers of PV adoption by property owners of non-residential buildings. This was done through a literature review and an empirical study in Sweden using a survey and semi-structured interviews. Common barriers identified in earlier research and in the present Swedish empirical study include economic, information/knowledge, and administrative/organizational barriers. New barriers identified in this Swedish study include building construction, lack of electricity storage, and tenants’ existing electricity supply contracts. Enablers identified in this Swedish and in earlier research include subsidies, environmental concerns, and expense reduction. The Swedish material also revealed enablers not mentioned in earlier studies, such as the opportunity to earn money and taking advantage of third-party ownership. Mapping barriers and enablers in research and in practice is an important step to understand why a wider diffusion is not happening. It is also important for developing new, creative ways of approaching companies and as a base when developing policy interventions. This study contributes to such a mapping for the non-residential sector.

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