Shane Battier Wants You to Know That Solar Isn’t Just “for Fancy People”

In residential solar’s early days, rooftop panels were associated with a certain kind of person: someone willing and able to pay a green premium to generate clean electricity at home. Even when those panels could reduce energy bills, paying the upfront cost required deeper pockets than the average person had.

Luckily, falling prices and advances in solar financing (like solar leases and PPAs) have made solar more accessible and affordable for more Americans than ever before. Still, the impression formed in the early days of solar — that it’s only for the wealthy or hardcore environmentalists — lingers. 

On a recent episode of Political Climate, Palmetto’s Chief Culture Advisor, Shane Battier tackled this perception.

Solar isn’t limited to the wealthy

The median income of residential solar owners has been falling for years as more low and moderate income households adopt solar.

In 2023, the median income of households adopting solar had fallen nearly 20% of what it was in 2010, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (the most recent update to their research includes data through 2023). Roughly half of solar adopters in 2023 earned no more than 120% of their area’s median income and more than one quarter earned less than 80% of their area’s median income (often considered the starting point for “low-income” designation).

Even with these trends, which suggest solar is opening up to more people, it’s not always sinking in. Since joining Palmetto at the end of 2025, Battier sees this perception hanging on with consumers. They’re thinking “I thought about solar, but that's for fancy people. I don't know about the technology. I don't know if it's worth it,” Battier told the Political Climate podcast.

A bit of education can go a long way. Battier, who’s new to the clean energy industry, is learning right alongside others about how homes interact with the grid and how solar can reduce energy bills.

“I've learned a ton just by going on Palmetto's app and playing the games and learning about the grid and power,” Battier said. 

Solars benefits

Solar is opening up to people of different income levels because it’s getting more affordable, and energy bills are becoming a bigger stressor for more Americans.

Solar leases and power purchase agreements come with zero upfront costs and can deliver savings as soon as your first utility bill after signing a contract. Purchased solar panels can also deliver significant energy bill savings, but only after years-long payback periods that may be less feasible to customers with lower incomes. Solar’s financial benefits can stretch beyond energy bill savings to improved property values, too.

To see if solar, storage, or an efficient heat pump can benefit you and your home, get a free quote from Palmetto today.