A digital copy of SECC's Distributed Energy Resources: Meeting Consumer Needs report, an exploration of what consumers know about DERs, what benefits they expect, what barriers hinder adoption, how programs should be delivered and more.

The report revealed that consumers’ top concerns and expected benefits from DERs are primarily financial. Consumers want to know upfront exactly how much money they will save by participating; 67 percent cite this need. Three-quarters (73 percent) expect saving money as a top benefit, and half (49 percent) expect incentives upfront to participate. Helping the environment is an important benefit (44 percent), yet consistently secondary to bill savings.

The report also provides recommendations for electricity providers that can help drive consumer awareness and engagement around various distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar, battery storage, home energy management systems, demand response and more.