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Tag Archives: energy justice
Impact of Utility-Scale Solar Farms on Property Values in North Carolina
By Megan Wang
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate impacts of utility-scale solar farms on surrounding property values. Using data from CoreLogic, the Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the US Census Bureau, this study identifies a 12% statistically significant increase in sale values associated with high-income residential homes within three miles of a solar farm. However, low-income homes built near solar farms are associated with a -1.4% decrease in sale values.
As North Carolina continues to expand solar energy, specifically through photovoltaic utilities, understanding the impact of solar development on surrounding communities should be a priority and policies should aim to prevent property devaluations in low-income neighborhoods caused by solar farms.
Professor Christopher Timmins, Faculty Advisor
JEL Codes: Q42, R11
Low-Income Residential Solar: A SASH Evaluation
By Jeff Knaide
In this paper, I examine the impacts of California’s Single-Family Affordable Solar Housing (SASH) subsidy on the rate of adoption of residential solar power. The SASH program looks to provide low-income families with a sizeable subsidy to install residential solar panels. Eligibility for the program depends on income, among a few other factors. This work represents part of a small body of energy justice literature, and the only existing evaluation of SASH. Zip-codes with higher eligibility (based on income levels) showed a significantly higher number of adoptions when controlling for important characteristics, specifically median income. While this policy did generate low-income adoptions, it does not offer a strong carbon abatement strategy – low-income households require greater financial support than might higher-income households.
Advisor: Christopher Timmins, Kent Kimbrough | JEL Codes: Q29
