Selling Into the Sun: Price Premium Analysis of a Multi-State Dataset of Solar Homes

Abstract

Capturing the value that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems may add to home sales transactions is increasingly important. Our study enhances the PV-home-valuation literature by more than doubling the number of PV home sales analyzed (22,822 homes in total, 3,951 of which are PV) and examining transactions in eight states that span the years 2002-2013. We find that home buyers are consistently willing to pay PV home premiums across various states, housing and PV markets, and home types; average premiums across the full sample equate to approximately $4/W or $15,000 for an average-sized 3.6-kW PV system. Only a small and non-statistically significant difference exists between PV premiums for new and existing homes, though some evidence exists of new home PV system discounting. A PV green cachet might exist, i.e., home buyers might pay a certain amount for any size of PV system and some increment more depending on system size. The market appears to depreciate the value of PV systems in their first 10 years at a rate exceeding the rate of PV efficiency losses and the rate of straightline depreciation over the asset's useful life. Net cost estimates-which account for government and utility PV incentives-may be the best proxy for market premiums, but income-based estimates may perform equally well if they accurately account for the complicated retail rate structures that exist in some states. Although this study focuses only on host-owned PV systems, future analysis should focus on homes with third-party-owned PV systems.

Life cycle costing manual for the Federal Energy Management Program

“…For this reason, it may be appropriate to use these projected premiums in place of the prorated capital investment cost or the operational savings costs. For example, assuming the same solar photovoltaic system project, on average, purchasers of similar properties are willing to pay a premium of at least $1.50/W for a 15-year old solar photovoltaic system (based on analysis in Hoen, et al (40)). The willingness to pay $1.50/W is the user's perceived value of the system (both operational and non-monetary).…”