Geographic network effects to engage people in the energy transition: The case of PV in Switzerland

With the energy transition and CO₂ emissions reduction as a priority on the international policy agenda, governments worldwide are trying to engage the population in investing in renewable energies. In this paper, we study the role of information access and peer effects in the photovoltaics sector in the case of the Swiss canton of Vaud. Based on a representative survey of the population of two districts, Nyon and Jura-Nord Vaudois, we show that being a homeowner and knowing someone who has installed PV cells in your social group significantly increase the probability of putting up PV cells. A direct neighbourhood effect was found, meaning that if a neighbour has installed a PV cell, the probability of the inhabitants in the two case study regions installing one themselves increases significantly. Our results show that spatial proximity is an important factor in the transmission of information between peers. Besides pure geographical distance, additional aspects such as administrative boundaries, shared language or degree of urbanisation play a role in the way the information network is presented. These insights indicate that professional experts and neighbours are important points of reference in the decision to invest in PV, and that regional networks are key for the active spreading of information on renewable technologies. Thus, we recommend using these connections to actively promote PV.