Characteristics of Early Adopters and Their Followers of Rooftop Solar, Electric Vehicles, and Heat Pumps
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2024
ABSTRACT
To support electrification and decarbonization, building codes now mandate the inclusion of clean energy technologies in new commercial and residential constructions. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on how “early adopters” and their “followers” differ in their adoption of various technologies at the city and community levels. By utilizing the Bass model, this study emphasizes the importance of recognizing community and city adoption patterns, understanding the social dynamics of diverse communities at different spatial scales, and considering the traits of early adopters and their followers to effectively promote technology adoption. The study reveals that higher adoption rates of electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps are linked to a greater presence of early adopters. Early EV adopters tend to have higher educational attainment and lower home values, while heat pump followers are associated with higher population density. Moreover, the study identifies an inverse correlation between early adopters and followers, as well as with market potential. Interestingly, communities with higher early adopters of rooftop solar tend to have lower followers of heat pumps. This underscores the significance of finding a balance between encouraging innovation and imitation behaviors, alongside promoting the dual adoption of technologies when shaping policies.
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Construction Research Congress 2024
Pages: 76 - 85
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Published online: Mar 18, 2024
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