FGRES research fellow Cosme Polese Borges recenty published an article titled “Beyond payback time: Understanding residential preferences for distributed solar PV in southern Brazil” in Renewable Energy. The paper, co-authored by Brazilian (Federal University of Santa Catarina) and North American (Michigan State University) researchers, uses a discrete choice experiment and demonstrates that non-financial factors such as installation warranties, technical assistance, and access to decentralized energy grids are as influential as simple cost recovery in shaping residential solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption. The findings are particularly relevant for fast-developing countries, where infrastructure gaps persist and regulatory frameworks often evolve more slowly than technological diffusion. In such contexts, decentralized PV systems can meaningfully support energy transitions when embedded within robust governance arrangements, service provision, and institutional support structures. The study aligns with the FGRES research perspective that energy systems are broader sociotechnical systems, in which end-users play an active role in shaping adoption dynamics, system resilience, and long-term sustainability outcomes.
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