Spatial disaggregation clarifies the inequity in distributional outcomes of household solar PV installation

Global installations of household rooftop solar photovoltaics (PVs) are rapidly increasing, driven in many cases by government incentives. We show a direct correlation between economic resources and both the PV penetration and the average PV system size. Using datasets with a high areal resolution for socioeconomic indicators and household PV installations, we create an Index of Economic Resources for Owner-Occupiers for the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Our analysis confirms the inaccuracy of using highly aggregated datasets in exploring the socioeconomic outcomes of the renewable energy policy, an inaccuracy long known in other disciplines. Analyses using such datasets are likely to overlook vulnerable areas, which could increase perverse policy outcomes.