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Connecticut and the 1 kilometer effect

In 2015, two geographers noticed solar panels popping up on houses in
their small US state of Connecticut. Curious, they set out to see if
they could figure out what predicted who had them. Would they be in
richer homes? Or in areas with higher population density?

Early adopters of solar panels tend to be people who are interested
in innovative technology, who find an installer they trust, and who
think having solar panels will benefit them.

But once an early adopter made their choice, the geographers found, a
cluster would spring up around them. Having solar panels on a house
near you, where you could see them and talk to a real live person who
had them, it turned out, was the biggest predictor of whether you'd
get them yourself. 

Soon the Connecticut study was being replicated - in Sweden, in
China, and in Germany, where they actually put a number on it.
Rooftop solar installations were most influential, they found, on
neighbors who lived within one kilometer (source: TED ideas).

The truth, of course, is this applies well beyond installing solar
panels. Solar panels are just physical manifestations of the
proximity principle.

People who prioritize their health are more likely to have friends
who prioritize their health. And so on.

We become like the people we choose to be around.

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Posted on March 19, 2026March 15, 2026Author alearningadayCategories 
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