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Understanding the Solar Home Price Premium: Electricity Generation and "Green" Social Status

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  • Samuel Dastrup
  • Joshua S. Graff Zivin
  • Dora L. Costa
  • Matthew E. Kahn

Abstract

This study uses a large sample of homes in the San Diego area and Sacramento, California area to provide some of the first capitalization estimates of the sales value of homes with solar panels relative to comparable homes without solar panels. Although the residential solar home market continues to grow, there is little direct evidence on the market capitalization effect. Using both hedonics and a repeat sales index approach we find that solar panels are capitalized at roughly a 3.5% premium. This premium is larger in communities with a greater share of college graduates and of registered Prius hybrid vehicles.

Suggested Citation

  • Samuel Dastrup & Joshua S. Graff Zivin & Dora L. Costa & Matthew E. Kahn, 2011. "Understanding the Solar Home Price Premium: Electricity Generation and "Green" Social Status," NBER Working Papers 17200, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17200
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets

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