Quantifying the Relationship Between Higher Photovoltaic Module Efficiency and the Adoption of Distributed Solar

The purpose of this study is understanding the relationship between module efficiency, system costs, and the economic and adoption potential of distributed rooftop solar. We use the dGen model to project the economic potential and adoption of high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) modules across a range of efficiencies and cost scenarios in the continental United States. Our results reveal that high-efficiency modules can modestly increase the projected adoption of distributed solar, but system capital costs may play a larger role in changing the amount of projected adoption.