DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES: CONSUMERS ARE JUST STARTING TO BUY IN, BUT INTEREST IS HIGH

In a recent survey aimed at energy industry professionals and consumers conducted by the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) and Essense Partners, a little less than a third of all consumers reported owning one of several forms of distributed energy resources: an electric car or plug-in hybrid electric car, a rooftop solar system, a backup generator, and/or a heat pump water heater.

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 16, 2017 - In a recent survey aimed at energy industry professionals and consumers conducted by the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) and Essense Partners, a little less than a third of all consumers reported owning one of several forms of distributed energy resources: an electric car or plug-in hybrid electric car, a rooftop solar system, a backup generator, and/or a heat pump water heater.

However, even if they hadnt yet purchased one of these devices, interest levels are quite a bit ahead of ownership rates:
• Backup generator: Own 13 percent; interested 35 percent
• Rooftop solar: Own 4 percent; interested, 34 percent
• Electric vehicles: Own 3 percent; interested, 26 percent
• Heat pump water heater: Own 10 percent; interested 13 percent
"We believe that consumers are interested in how they can ‘go off the grid and as renewables make these options easier, we will see more adoption of these technologies," said John Hargrove, President and CEO of AESP.
The survey findings are published in Trends In Energy and Demand Management, a new, wide-ranging energy industry survey of utilities and consumers conducted by the Association for Energy Services Professionals in partnership with Essense Partners.
The third of four parts, focusing on distributed energy resources, was released today. The final report on the Internet of Things (IoT), will be released later this year. Reports on program participation rates and jobs in energy efficiency were previously released.

About AESP
The Association of Energy Services Professionals (www.aesp.org) provides professional development programs, a network of energy practitioners, and promotes the transfer of knowledge and experience. Our members work in the energy services industry and represent electric and natural gas utilities, public benefits associations, regulatory and non-profit entities, vendors, manufacturers and consulting firms. Founded in 1989, AESP is a member-based association dedicated to improving the delivery and implementation of energy efficiency, energy management and distributed renewable resources.
About Essense Partners
Essense Partners is an award-winning research, strategic marketing and branding firm focused exclusively on the evolving energy sector. Essense is multi-disciplinary: we are energy strategists, researchers, marketers, and branding experts. At Essense we create concrete, meaningful experiences around the intangible, like energy. We exceed our clients expectations by understanding energy business models inside and out, and by embracing technology as an integral part of the customer experience.

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