📈❓Solar, heat pumps, battery storage, energy management systems, EV charing… Home energy tech has never been more primed for mass scale.

What's truly needed to accelerate adoption? Here's my top 3, backed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's awesome recent data.

1️⃣ 💸 Lower upfront cost

💡 Point of sale rebates — For costly fixed infrastructure, it’s essential. Financing is great, but 1 in 4 see loans as a negative when considering home upgrades.
💡 Affordable entry points — We need low cost starting points that support scaling up over time based on household needs/budget.
💡 Better bundling — Combine upgrades to improve unit economics by (ideally) reducing soft costs and cognitive burden. The catch: Project management can't fall on the shoulders of the homeowner!
💡 Self-install — This ranked #2 overall for most regions. It begs the question, why? Fewer perceived hidden costs?

2️⃣ 🤩 Value that’s directly perceptible

💡 It’s all about better quality of living — Comfort, Safety, Aesthetics, Savings, Resilience. Nail these 5.
💡 PNNL found “more homeowners and renters changed visible, interactive technologies compared to behind-the-scenes technologies,“ meanwhile 30% said “unclear cost/benefit” was a barrier to change.
💡 Remember, Comfort >> Climate! “Comfort/safety for pets/children is the most important decision making factor for home modifications.”

3️⃣ 🤝 Trust is king

💡 Value >> Cost alone — There’s a clear theme across owners’ & renters’ top decision factors: “Durable and can repair” “Safety certified” “Low maintenance cost”
💡 The #1 consideration surprised me: “Sold at a big box store”. In a world of hyper-convenient online retail, my gut says this is less about convenience as it is trust.
💡 Friends/Family top the charts as source of information for home improvements. Sorry manufacturers, contractors and service providers.. your opinion ranks low for most households :)

🥇 Trustworthy products that deliver visible, immediate, persistent value win. Clear that bar, and there’s massive potential for viral word-of-mouth adoption.