The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Decision to Use Solar Energy and Install Photovoltaic Panels in Households in the Years 2019–2021 within the Area of a Selected Polish Municipality

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on electricity consumption and, consequently, on decisions regarding the installation of photovoltaic panels using the example of a selected local authority in Poland—the Szemud Municipality. The analysis was conducted in 2022 and covered the years 2019–2021. An attempt was made to explore the factors that may have triggered an increase in the use of solar energy in households and identify the determinants of installing photovoltaic panels in the period under analysis. Previous analyses of the PV market (and the impact of the pandemic on it) have so far focused on the market as a whole, either in macro or global terms, while studies on smaller municipalities have been limited to examining changes in electricity consumption levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and during lockdown. Therefore, a research gap was identified in that there are no studies analyzing the reasons for the shift from conventional to PV-assisted energy in households, with the COVID-19 pandemic as the background of these changes. The literature research showed that there are currently no studies attempting to establish a link between the increased interest in this type of energy by local authorities and the COVID-19 pandemic. The research confirmed the hypothesis of increased interest in household PV during the pandemic. The main conclusions of the study boil down to the need for further support as well as promotion of the use of solar energy. In addition, the results derived from the empirical research indicate the need to take action at a policy level to counter adverse trends regarding undesirable social behavior.

The State of Knowledge and Attitudes of the Inhabitants of the Polish Świętokrzyskie Province about Renewable Energy Sources

“…The goal of the Mój Pr ąd Program is to subsidize expenses related to the purchase and installation of photovoltaic micro-installations [45,47,48]. Global factors, on the other hand, include the ongoing war across the country's eastern border since 2022 and the COVID-19 pandemic [49]. Positive attitudes toward the use of photovoltaic panels and solar panels to produce heat and electricity were already evident in a 2016 survey of a representative sample of Polish residents [28].…”

Perception of Prosumer Photovoltaic Technology in Poland: Usability, Ease of Use, Attitudes, and Purchase Intentions

“…Such conditions are also met by the technology of prosumer photovoltaic (PV) systems in Poland, which are the subject of this study. Many research works have already been dedicated to this topic, which indicates a considerable interest in this research area [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Researchers have made many attempts to identify factors influencing the adoption of prosumer PV technology using different approaches and models.…”

“…Researchers have made many attempts to identify factors influencing the adoption of prosumer PV technology using different approaches and models. Correlation studies are very often used in research [3,11,13] and in modelling structural equations [5,7]. Despite this, the factors affecting the acceptance of prosumer PV systems are still under-researched.…”

Selection of Photovoltaic Panels Based on Ranges of Criteria Weights and Balanced Assessment Criteria

“…According to data from 2020, households invested over PLN 6.5 billion in PV panels, while the total value of investments was PLN 10 billion [27]. The main reason for these investments can be attributed to the fact that households are struggling with ever higher energy prices resulting from EU policy-mainly from fees for CO 2 emissions [28]. Meanwhile, PV installations make it possible to significantly reduce building operating costs by providing electricity [14] and the electrification of the heating sector by powering heat pumps with energy from PV panels [27].…”

“…The main elements of such incentives are included in the "My electricity" program, which allows for partial cofinancing of investments in PV installations, as well as energy and heat storage facilities [29]. The main objective of the "My electricity" program is to increase the number of prosumers of PV micro-installations with a capacity of 2-10 kW among households in Poland, and the program itself is relatively popular [28]. Similarly, within the "Clean air" program, you can obtain co-financing for PV installations in combination with the replacement of a non-ecological heat source [30].…”