According to the findings, 68% of homeowners would participate in a utility-managed solar + storage program if it involved little to no upfront cost and offered compensation for supporting the grid during peak demand.
The research, part of SECC’s Smart Energy Snapshot Series and fielded by The Harris Poll in June 2025, surveyed 1,168 adults who live in single-family homes they own. The survey offers new insights into how consumers view distributed energy resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar and batteries, who they trust to install systems, and what motivates their investment.
According to the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative’s July 2025 report, with distributed solar and storage poised to become critical assets for grid reliability, it’s essential to understand where homeowners stand and how utilities can meet them there.
The most cited reason homeowners are interested in rooftop solar is long-term savings on electricity bills. Thirty-six percent of respondents said cost savings were their primary motivation, followed by 27% who cited the desire to use renewable energy. Roughly one in four also noted that increasing the value of their home or improving its resilience in the face of power outages were compelling factors.
Notably, 21% of respondents said they were motivated by the ability to contribute to the reliability of the electricity grid—a signal that consumers are increasingly aware of their role in energy resilience. The survey also found that 25% are driven by the desire to reduce their reliance on the grid altogether.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) appears to be influencing decision-making as well. While 39% of homeowners said financing options—such as zero upfront costs and low-interest payments—would increase their interest in going solar, nearly one in five (18%) said they would lose interest if IRA incentives were no longer available. This finding underscores the ongoing importance of federal policy in shaping adoption rates.
When asked who they would prefer to install a rooftop solar system, 39% of homeowners selected their electricity provider as their top choice, and another 31% said they would prefer a company recommended by their provider. This suggests that utilities are in a strong position to guide or facilitate solar adoption, provided they maintain transparency and competitive pricing.
Meanwhile, a smaller percentage of homeowners expressed trust in third-party installers. Twenty-one percent said they weren’t sure who they would choose, indicating a gap in consumer knowledge or confidence that could be addressed through education and outreach.
While most consumers associate rooftop solar with financial savings, expectations differ widely. According to the SECC survey, 24% of respondents believe they would save between 26% and 50% on their electricity bill if they adopted rooftop solar. Another 18% expect savings in the range of 11% to 25%, while 12% believe the impact would be minimal—less than 10%. A small segment, around 4%, said they believed solar would eliminate their electricity bills altogether.
These expectations reveal a need for clearer, more standardized consumer information about real-world savings. Without accurate projections, some homeowners may either overestimate their financial benefits or dismiss solar’s potential prematurely.
One of the most compelling findings from the report is the strong willingness among homeowners to participate in utility-managed solar + storage programs. These initiatives typically allow utilities to draw energy from residential batteries during peak times while preserving the battery’s capacity for backup power during outages. In exchange, participants are compensated financially, creating a mutually beneficial system that supports grid reliability and offers value back to consumers.
Among homeowners who already have solar, willingness to participate is even higher, at 77%, compared to 66% among those who do not currently have systems installed. This suggests that positive firsthand experience may build trust in more collaborative, utility-led models.
With 50% of surveyed homeowners having already taken steps to explore rooftop solar—from researching online to receiving quotes or visiting homes with existing systems—the solar and storage market is rapidly expanding beyond early adopters. As grid stability becomes an increasing concern due to electrification, extreme weather, and growing demand, distributed resources like solar + storage will play a key role in shaping the U.S. energy future.
SECC’s findings make clear that financial incentives, trusted installers, and flexible participation models are central to unlocking the next wave of residential clean energy adoption. Utility partnerships, in particular, offer a path forward that aligns consumer interest with system-wide reliability and sustainability goals.
