Table 5.

Three levels of barriers to LMI solar adoption

Barrier level	Evidence	Potential drivers
LMI households are less likely to pursue PV adoption in the first place	Below-median-income tracts are about 16 points underrepresented on the quote platform	Demand-side barriers (e.g., cash constraints, home ownership) may discourage LMI customers from exploring PV. It is also possible that technological literacy and internet access pose specific barriers to use of quote platforms.
Installers are less likely to pursue LMI customers	Customers in LMI tracts receive around 10% fewer quotes, on average, than customers in non-LMI tracts	Installers site their businesses in relatively affluent areas; installers may perceive that LMI customers equate to lower margins, that LMI customers are less likely to close deals, and that LMI customers are more likely to cancel contracts.
LMI customers are less likely to close	Customers in LMI tracts are about 30% less likely to close deals than customers in non-LMI tracts, when controlling for the number of quotes received	Due to demand-side factors, LMI customers may pursue adoption less aggressively than other customers. Conversely, installers may pursue LMI customers less aggressively than they pursue other customers.