Household and Community Solar Assessment Calculator - Initial Survey

1. Household and Community Solar Assessment Calculator - Initial Survey

At the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) we're building an online tool to make it easier for people and communities to understand the benefits of installing solar power systems. The website will provide easy, quick, accurate and independent predictions regarding the viability for installing solar photovoltaic (solar PV) systems on the roofs of homes and other buildings in order to generate renewable electricity. We're keen for the tool to be openly available, but we'll consider a range of options for longer-term viability based on feedback. The first working prototype is expected by the end of the year.

CSE is designing and developing the tool in collaboration with Sharenergy (which runs the flagship Big Solar Co-op) and Bath & West Community Energy. The project is part-funded by UK Research and Innovation, through Innovate UK, as part of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution programme.

We’d really like to have your input before we start the work! In particular, it would be really helpful to understand your thoughts on:
  • Whether this tool is something you would be interested in using
  • The particular information and data that would be most important to you
  • Whether or not you would be willing to support the project by testing the prototype later this year.
You can answer these in the survey below and the full survey should take no longer than 10 minutes in total to complete.
 

1. Are you interested in the solar calculator as a: *

 

2. We're interested in finding out what might motivate people to use our solar calculator and for what purpose they might use the data. Please tell us about how this data might be useful for you and what impact it could help you achieve.
For example, I am a homeowner, concerned about my energy bills and I would like to find out whether I will save money if I get solar panels on my roof
OR I work for a community energy group and I want to find the best roofs for solar in my community
OR I work for a local council and I want to use the data to inform a local climate change strategy *

 

3. What information is most useful to you from the tool? Select the 5 most important answers

 

4. Are the following types of information useful to have within the website? Please select the 5 most useful answers

 

5. If you would be interested in continuing to support the development of the tool throughout this project, please select from the options below
Please note we will be selecting participants that provide a cross-section across different user groups and use cases

Willing to be involvedNot willing to be involved
Follow up from this survey (15-30 minute call asking for more information)
Beta testing of tool – using the first version of the solar calculator and filling out a survey to feedback information (approx 30 minutes to 1 hour of time)
Feedback workshops - using the first version of the solar calculator and attending a workshop to feedback information (approx 1 hour to 1 hr 30 minutes)
When the final version of the tool is released - email me
 

6. Data Protection
In submitting this form I understand that:
- The information I have supplied will be stored by the Centre for Sustainable Energy and shared with partners Sharenergy and Bath and West Community Energy.
- The Centre for Sustainable Energy will not pass my contact details to any third party.
- The Centre for Sustainable Energy will hold this data until July 2023 *

 

7. Contact details for follow up (if applicable)