by Shayle Kann and Attila Toth

April 19, 2017

How wealthy are the households that install rooftop solar? This question has surfaced repeatedly, most often when policymakers or regulators are considering solar incentives and/or changes to electricity rates.

In particular, battles over net energy metering often include charged debates over whether solar is simply benefiting the wealthy. In response to one such dispute in Nevada, for example, The Wall Street Journal editorial board called net metering “regressive political income redistribution."

These statements on both sides have...