Source: NYT > Business
Rising energy costs and geopolitical instability—particularly around potential Trump-era trade wars and Russia tensions—are pushing European households to lock in renewable energy before prices or policy shift further. This is direct cost anxiety from consumers who lived through the 2019 energy crisis and are now rationally hedging against future shocks through capital investment. A new consumer archetype is emerging: the defensive adopter who treats rooftop solar and heat pumps as insurance policies rather than lifestyle choices. This shifts the growth engine for these technologies from subsidy-dependent to self-interested and durable.