In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Madeline Yozwiak, a PhD candidate at Indiana University Bloomington, about the potential of residential rooftop solar technology to address the growing problem of household energy insecurity in the United States. Energy insecurity—the inability to access or afford sufficient energy to meet basic household needs—affects about one in four US households. In a recent study she coauthored, Yozwiak evaluated whether rooftop solar can reduce energy burden by comparing the experiences and energy expenses of otherwise similar households, with and without rooftop solar. She shares findings from the study, which suggest that rooftop solar can lead to significant savings on energy bills and improve overall utility affordability.

References and recommendations:

“The effect of residential solar on energy insecurity among low- to moderate-income households” by Madeline Yozwiak, Galen Barbose, Sanya Carley, Sydney P. Forrester, David M. Konisky, Trevor Memmott, Cristina Crespo Montañés, and Eric O’Shaughnessy; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-025-01730-y

“Rooftop solar can reduce energy insecurity” by Madeline Yozwiak; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-025-01750-8

“Strangers in Their Own Land” by Arlie Russell Hochschild; https://thenewpress.org/books/9781620972250/

Who Benefits from Rooftop Solar—and How Much?, with Madeline Yozwiak

Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.