Poll: Most Americans back solar homes
SAN FRANCISCO, May 30 (UPI) — A new study conducted by Roper found nearly 90 percent of Americans think solar electricity should be an option for all new home construction.
That figure in the study, commissioned by Sharp Electronics Corp., is up significantly from one year ago when it was 79 percent.
Three-quarters of survey respondents perceive solar power to be more important than ever, evidence that Americans recognize the value of solar as a clean, renewable form of energy. The survey was conducted in May among 1,004 adults to measure their perceptions of solar power.
“More and more, consumers are interested in solar energy, as the results of this survey clearly show,” said Ron Kenedi, vice president, Solar Energy Solutions Group, Sharp Electronics Corp. “The message from consumers to homebuilders is clear — builders can differentiate themselves while satisfying customer needs by offering solar electricity on any home they build.”
There is a gap in understanding that solar electricity operates just like regular electricity and is the same kind of electricity that a local utility company provides. So even as consumers embrace the technology, they are not fully aware of its capabilities and they have misconceptions about how a solar energy system works in a home. Survey respondents were more likely to recognize solar could turn lights on (82 percent) and heat bath water (82 percent) or a swimming pool (80 percent), than power common electric devices like computers or appliances (71 percent).
The poll’s margin of error was 3.1 percentage points.