The regional variations of public perceptions and factors of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels: a comparison of the South-east and South-west of England

The recent developments and improvements in micro-scale solar PV technology have meant that the technology has become more affordable and more visually appealing. With the introduction of national and local schemes such as the Feed-In Tariff, ECO and the Green Deal, the number of installations on domestic rooftops has increased. However, solar PV is not supported by all, there are negative perceptions which exist and these have been recognised in previous literature. The literature also indicates that solar PV is the most widely accepted form of renewable energy so there is a divided opinion over the future of the technology for the UK. This study aimed to research public perceptions of domestic solar PV by comparing regional differences across the South of England with study areas of Exeter and Guildford. Qualitative and quantitative primary data was obtained in the form of public questionnaires and interviews with local Councils in both areas. A number of variables such as income, age and gender were collected from respondents in the surveys and the topics of localised schemes for solar PV were discussed with the local Councils. The results showed that there is a strong knowledge base of solar PV among the public in both study areas and that there are no noticeable differences in public opinion. However, the public are not fully aware of localised schemes for solar PV suggesting a failure of local Councils to engage with their locality. Socio- demographics such as gender did not produce any differences in opinion but aesthetics were found to be of importance in the decision to install. It has been noted that the concepts of NIMBYism and place attachment from the literature does not apply to these areas and that some form of social transition has taken place whereby people are becoming more accepting of solar PV panels on domestic properties. It was found that the focus for marketing of solar PV has been targeting the wrong audience – the older population who have limited background knowledge. It has been recommended that there needs to be a shift in policy to adopt a national-local scheme whereby incentives are provided for working families who would benefit the most from solar PV in the long-term. It is also suggested that there needs to be more communication between the local Councils and their community to develop localised renewable energy targets which are achievable. Other issues and debates within the literature have been identified and discussed and additional recommendations for future work have also been made to support the hypotheses further