SOCIO-SPATIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT IN SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) ADOPTION IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

Abstract

Both globally and in Canada, inequitable access to residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has remained a persistent challenge to achieving a just energy transition. Yet limited empirical research has examined how a combination of economic, demographic, social, and spatial factors may interact to shape solar adoption, especially in Canada. To address this gap, I used mixed methods to investigate household solar PV adoption in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The initial quantitative phase analyzed survey data (n=158) from solar adopters to understand [in]equity and socio-spatial patterns of uptake. For example, comparisons between survey data and Halifax census-based community data revealed that solar PV adoption is skewed toward older, married, and highly educated homeowners with higher household incomes. Correlation results, however, indicate that income alone explains an extremely limited share of the variation in PV installations (p >.320), suggesting that other factors may shape adoption patterns. Follow-up interviews (n=16) designed to build on quantitative findings and shaped by the existing literature as well as a spatial analysis of survey respondents provided critical explanatory insight into these findings. Participants emphasized the importance of neighbourhood visibility (i.e., passive peer effects) and interpersonal interactions with friends and peers (i.e., active peer effects) in shaping adoption decisions. Friends frequently acted as trusted information brokers, while visible installations within neighbourhoods signaled technological legitimacy and reduced perceived risk. These findings suggest that efforts to expand solar adoption may benefit from approaches that harness community-level social dynamics.