Camden Droz, Ben Kim, Tane Koh, Toby Mallon, Audrey Renaud
This report examines the role of state-funded grants and loans in the adoption of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Massachusetts since 2000. Using comprehensive data from sources like Energy Markets and Policy at Berkeley Lab and Massachusetts Clean Energy, we analyze trends in solar panel costs, grant allocations, and system capacities. Our findings highlight a significant reduction in the cost of solar installations, accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the average grant value over time. Despite these reductions, grants remain a critical factor in promoting solar energy adoption, particularly in areas with lower average income per capita. This study underscores the importance of targeted financial incentives in advancing sustainable energy solutions and provides a theory-based evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of such policies. The analysis reveals that while grants have decreased in value, they continue to be instrumental in making solar energy accessible and sustainable, particularly in financially constrained communities.
The most recent plots are generated via Tane-P5.Rmd. They have been compiled into the final report.
The full report is deployed at: https://olincollege.github.io/data-science-energy-policy/