Indicia Consulting
Ethnography of Cool Roof Retrofits

The Role of Rebates in the Material Selection Process

Project Description

Designed and conducted ethnographic research on nine households in the Bay Area and Sacramento region in 2010 for the report Ethnography of Cool Roof Retrofits: The Role of Rebates in the Material Selection Process. The purpose was to collect insights into how and why consumers chose the cool roofing material they selected. Results showed that consumers typically stayed very close to the aesthetic of the original roof style. Price was not a primary concern, while longevity was paramount. Consumers did not use roofing price, nor energy savings (with one exception), in tracking return on investment through energy savings. The utility rebate had little role to play in terms of incentivizing customers to choose cool materials.

Project Details

Date: 2010-2011
Client: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories (LBNL)
Locations: Sacramento, Pleasanton, San Anselmo, Hayward
Link: http://www.slideshare.net/SusanStommen/ethnography-of-cool-roof-retrofits