Solar Market Frictions: The Role of Platforms and Policies

Abstract

This paper estimates a structural model of the solar photovoltaic (PV) installation market using detailed data from an online platform. The model incorporates households' solar installation choices and sellers' strategic bidding. Counterfactual simulations evaluate how equilibrium outcomes respond to changes in market structure and government subsidies, yielding two main results: (1) an increase from one to five bids through the platform reduces gross installation prices by $4,000 (15.5%), and (2) the U.S. Solar Investment Tax Credit increases total surplus on the platform by $1.35 per dollar of subsidy expenditure by mitigating market power and reducing pollution externalities.