Learning to live with PVs: the situated nature of learning and time-shifting practices in households with photovoltaics

Micro-generation technologies like photovoltaic (PV) systems are becoming more widespread, with research and policy suggesting they can encourage changes in household-energy consumption. However, how households incorporate these technologies into their everyday lives determines their effectiveness in reducing the amount of energy consumed from the grid and increasing the proportion consumed from renewable sources. This article focuses on how people learn to use PVs and related devices, and how they adapt daily practices to match PV generation. Examining learning as a situated process serves to consider it as taking place in everyday practices, and thus as a possible driver for change. The analysis focuses on material and social factors that facilitate or hinder households’ learning experiences with PV systems. The materiality of the home—such as the location and accessibility of the PV inverter—shapes how users engage with and understand this system. Social interactions within and beyond the household also influence learning processes and PV diffusion. Material and social factors function as unconventional forms of feedback that, beyond standard energy-feedback mechanisms, significantly impact how people use their PVs. This article is based on empirical data collected on two island communities located off the west coast of Ireland over a four-month period. It highlights the need to implemen policies from different sectors—such as the education, housing and environmental sectors—to consider the situated material and social factors affecting energy-consuming practices, to promote more effective user engagement, and to support a smoother transition to renewable energy.