Purchasing Power

The document identifies high transaction costs, the time required for market learning, and fragmented demand as primary barriers to solar PV adoption for commercial and government consumers. It proposes collaborative purchasing as a solution to aggregate demand and lower installation costs. The guide offers a structured 12-step process, informed by research and case studies of early regional collaborations, to help participants achieve competitive pricing and improved vendor performance.

• Three primary barriers hinder the scaling of solar PV adoption among government and commercial consumers: high transaction costs due to industry fragmentation and non-standardized processes, the time and effort required for buyers to learn about technology and financing, and an inefficient 'patchwork approach' where sites are developed individually.
• Collaborative purchasing addresses these barriers by grouping interested consumers and installation sites, which serves to educate buyers, reduce transaction costs, and aggregate demand to achieve lower-than-average installation costs.
• The guide's 12-step process is based on research and two early, large-scale regional collaboration case studies—one private sector and one public sector—to provide chronological actions and milestones for purchasing solar electricity at competitive prices.
• Successful regional collaboration in solar procurement is expected to result in lower costs, enhanced vendor performance, increased competition, and projects with higher visibility.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Purchasing Power. https://www.wri.org/research/purchasing-power

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Purchasing Power. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/purchasing-power.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Purchasing Power |url=https://www.wri.org/research/purchasing-power |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendpurchasing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Purchasing Power}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/purchasing-power}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }