Growing Number of Americans Think That Solar Electricity Should Be Offered on All New Homes

Nine out of Ten Americans Would Like Solar Electric Systems Available on New Home Construction, up Significantly from Last Year

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a recent Roper survey commissioned by Sharp Electronics Corporation, nearly 90 percent of Americans think that solar electricity should be an option for all new home construction, up significantly from one year ago (79 percent). Three-quarters of survey respondents perceive solar power to be more important than ever, evidence that Americans recognize the value of solar as a clean, renewable form of energy. The survey was conducted in May of this year among 1,004 adults to measure their perceptions of solar power.

“More and more, consumers are interested in solar energy, as the results of this survey clearly show. The message from consumers to homebuilders is clear – builders can differentiate themselves while satisfying customer needs by offering solar electricity on any home they build,” said Ron Kenedi, vice president, Solar Energy Solutions Group, Sharp Electronics Corporation

Even as consumers embrace the technology, they are not fully aware of its capabilities and they have misconceptions about how a solar energy system works in a home. Survey respondents were more likely to recognize solar could turn lights on (82 percent) and heat bath water (82 percent) or a swimming pool (80 percent), than power common electric devices like computers or appliances (71 percent). There is a gap in understanding that solar electricity operates just like regular electricity and is the same kind of electricity that a local utility company provides.

“As the world’s leading solar manufacturer, Sharp views this uncertainty as a strong reason for educating the public about the features and benefits of solar energy. It can power everything from air conditioning and computers to appliances and vacuums; consumers need to understand why it makes sense, both financially and for the environment,” added Kenedi.

Sharp recently launched a unique awareness campaign under the tagline “Hello Sunshine” designed to demystify solar electricity for consumers. Components of the “Hello Sunshine” campaign appear in newspaper ads, Internet search results and web page banners – even a colorful traveling education trailer that will move from town to town throughout California increasing awareness and understanding of solar electricity.

The survey also revealed that the financial benefits of solar energy play an instrumental role in a consumer’s decisions about solar electricity. Saving money on monthly energy bills was the primary motivation for consumers to install a solar system, with 84 percent of respondents citing this over any other reason. More than half of respondents said they would be more interested in learning about solar energy for their homes, if the system would cost them zero money down and they would start enjoying an immediate payback in the form of lower energy bills. This was the primary motivation for Sharp to create an alliance with CitiMortgage, which enables homeowners to fund the purchase of a solar energy system through a streamlined Home Equity Program where homeowners can use the equity in their homes to help offset the cost of installing solar panels on their roofs.

The findings of the survey include:

-- 87 percent feel that homebuilders should offer solar power as an
   option for all new homes; older Americans are less enthusiastic,
   with 77 percent of those over age 65 supporting solar on new homes
-- Respondents understand that solar power can be used to turn the
   lights on (82 percent), heat bath water (82 percent) or heat a
   swimming pool (80 percent)
-- Respondents are less likely to understand that solar can power
   electric devices such as computers or appliances (71 percent)
    -- Americans over age 65 are least likely to recognize this
       functionality (56 percent)
    -- Those in the Northeast (63 percent) and Midwest (65 percent)
       were significantly less likely to identify this functionality
       for solar energy, compared to those in the South (75 percent)
       and West (78 percent)
-- 82 percent say that a decrease in monthly energy bills is their
   primary motivation for installing solar power; other respondents
   indicated it was to reduce overall energy usage (79 percent),
   reduce oil dependence (77 percent) or because it is a secure source
   of energy (75 percent)
-- 56 percent would be interested in learning more about solar for
   their homes if the system could be obtained for zero money down and
   their utility bills would be lowered right away
    -- Younger adults, ages 25-34, are more encouraged by monetary
       savings, with 67 percent expressing interest in solar

 

Sharp’s Solar Energy Solutions Group is a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, Osaka, Japan. Sharp is the world market leader in solar panel production, with annual worldwide production capacity of 710 MW, and offers both standard and integrated roof modules for home applications. Sharp also is the U.S. market leader in panel production and maintains solar panel assembly operations at its manufacturing facility in Memphis, TN. The solar manufacturing facility assembles a variety of panels for residential and commercial installations.

Further information on Sharp’s commitment to solar energy, its product line, and the ways in which Sharp makes it easy to go solar is available online at www.solar.sharpusa.com, while information on the “Hello Sunshine” campaign can be found at www.hellosunshineCA.com.

Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home entertainment products, appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, solar energy solutions and mobile communication and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS^® Liquid Crystal Televisions, 1-Bit™ digital audio products, SharpVision^® projection products, Insight^® Microwave Drawers^®, and Notevision^® multimedia projectors. For more information visit Sharp Electronics Corporation at www.sharpusa.com.

The study was conducted by Roper Public Affairs, a division of GfK NOP, on behalf of Sharp Electronics Corporation. Results are based on OmniTel™ telephone interviews conducted from May 4-6, 2007 among a nationally representative sample of 1,004 US adults using a random digit dialing (RDD) probability sample of all telephone households in the continental United States. The sample has been weighted by age, sex, education, race, and geographic region. The margin of sampling error for the sample is +/- 3.1 percentage points.