PV owners' motivation and behaviour as prosumers

The project investigates which type of consumers who are more likely to invest in solar cells and what the reasons behind this decision is, and moreover, how PVs affect consumers' electricity consumption and load profiles.
Continuing expansion of renewable energy in the Danish energy system is an important factor in the Danish climate strategy. Renewable energy like sun and wind causes fluctuating energy production and involves a significant challenge in balancing consumption and production. Private PV owners are interesting for example because of an expected untapped potential for renewable energy expansion in the system through private PVs, and because of ownership of PVs are expected to affect energy consumers' attitude towards flexible consumption.

The project is carried out in a collaboration between BUILD (formerly Statens Byggeforskningsinstitut) at Aalborg University, Norlys (Eniig Holding A/S) and Cerius A/S (under SEAS-NVE Holdning A/S).
The project is funded under the ForskEL program.

The project has six main results. First, Danish PV owners seem generally satisfied with their PV system. Second, Danish PV owner households are significantly different from other households, especially by tending to have higher income and more often a technical education. Third, three primary forms of motivation for buying PVs seem to have driven acquisition of PVs. These were motivated by becoming self-sufficient, showing a good example to others and by economic gain. Fourth, PV households, especially those on hourly or immediate netmetering scheme, tend to time-shift their consumption to when the sun is shining. Fifth, PV owners tend to state that they become more engaged and interested in energy production and consumption. Sixth, some PV owners develop specific energy-production practices, for
example, where reading and optimization of production becomes a hobby.
These results were published in six publications.

Project conclusion and perspective
Households buying PVs are distinct from others, especially by tending to have higher income and be technical educated. When households get PVs, it affects them in different ways. First, they tend to be more engaged in electricity matters. Second, those on hourly or immediate net settlement schemes tend to time-shift consumption to utilize their own production. Finally, some PV households has a ‘nerdy’ approach to their PVs, where reading meters, optimizing production and reducing consumption become a hobby to them.
These results are important for further research on how to get households to reduce or time-shift their electricity consumption practices. Moreover, the project provide important insights into why households buy PVs and how such technologies affect their everyday lives in different ways.