DOE Solar Decathlon Impact Evaluation Surveys

FORMER DECATHLETE 12/01/10

SOLAR DECATHLON EVALUATION

FORMER-DECATHLETE ONLINE (WEB) SURVEY

OMB Control No. _____ Expiration Date: ______

INFORMATION IN A BOX IS FOR THE WEB PROGRAMMER.

Thank you for taking our survey. This data is being collected to help the U.S. Department of Energy evaluate the Solar Decathlon. The data you supply will be used for improving its value to future Decathletes.

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The survey is voluntary. Your answers will be combined with the answers of others and will not be linked to your name.

Please click on CONTINUE to begin the survey.

SHOW A CONTINUE BUTTON TO BEGIN THE SURVEY.

UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, AFTER EACH QUESTION, SHOW:
“PRESS ‘CONTINUE’ TO RECORD YOUR ANSWER AND CONTINUE TO THE NEXT QUESTION. TO RETURN TO A PREVIOUS QUESTION PRESS ‘GO BACK’.”

PROVIDE CONTINUE AND GO BACK BUTTONS AFTER EACH QUESTION.

1 We understand that you may have participated in your college’s entry into one of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competitions. These were held in Washington, D.C. in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2009. However, your school may have begun work on its entry for up to two years before these competition dates. Did you participate at any time in your university or college’s entry into one of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlons?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t recall

IF Q1 = YES, CONTINUE. ALL OTHERS SHOW:

Thank you. This survey is for students and former students who participated in one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlons. Please click on EXIT to close this screen and return to your browser.

SHOW AN EXIT BUTTON TO TERMINATE THE SURVEY. DO NOT ALLOW THE RESPONDENT TO CONTINUE OR GO BACK.

2 In which of the following years’ Solar Decathlons did you participate?
If you participated in more than one, select as many as apply.

• 2002

• 2005

• 2007

• 2009

• 2011

• Don’t recall

IF Q2 = DON’T RECALL, CONTINUE. ALL OTHERS SKIP TO Q4

3 Did you participate in the design or construction of a solar-powered home that was eventually displayed at the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., or did you participate in something else that might have been like that?

• Solar-powered home for display in Washington, D.C.

• Something else

• Don’t know

IF Q3 = “SOLAR HOME FOR DISPLAY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.”, CONTINUE. ALL OTHERS SHOW:

Thank you. This survey is for students and former students who participated in one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlons. Please click on EXIT to close this screen and return to the browser.

SHOW AN EXIT BUTTON TO TERMINATE THE SURVEY. DO NOT ALLOW THE RESPONDENT TO CONTINUE OR GO BACK.

FOR OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES TO “OTHER” QUESTIONS IN THIS SURVEY. ALLOW 80 CHARACTERS. PROVIDE A COUNTER THAT SHOWS HOW MANY CHARACTERS ARE LEFT AS THE RESPONDENT ENTERS HIS/HER RESPONSE.

4 What academic major or majors were you taking when you participated in your first Solar Decathlon? Select as many as apply.

• Architecture

• Computer design

• Ecology

• Electrical engineering

• Environmental engineering

• Lighting design

• Marketing or communications

• Materials engineering

• Mechanical engineering

• Physics

• O ther 

• O ther 

• Had not declared a major / Don’t recall

5 After you participated in your first Solar Decathlon did you select a major or change your original undergraduate major to one that can be used in producing, managing, using, or marketing renewable energy or energy efficiency?

• Yes

• No  SKIP TO THE INSTRUCTION BEFORE Q7

6 What academic major or majors did you select or change to after you participated in the Solar Decathlon? Select as many as apply.

• Architecture

• Computer design

• Ecology

• Electrical engineering

• Environmental engineering

• Lighting design

• Marketing or communications

• Materials engineering

• Mechanical engineering

• Physics

• O ther 

• O ther 

The following are some questions about the value of your Solar Decathlon experience. Please rate the value of your Solar Decathlon experience on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means your Solar Decathlon experience provided no value for you at all and 10 means your Solar Decathlon experience was extremely valuable.

7 Please rate how much more you learned about using solar energy and energy efficiency for homes from your Solar Decathlon experience than you would have learned just from taking your regular college courses.

	I learned nothing more than I would have learned anyway							My Solar Decathlon experience taught me about twice as much as I would have learned otherwise							The Solar Decathlon taught me everything that I learned in college about using solar energy and energy efficiency in homes
		0	1		2	3	4		5	6		7	8	9		10
																

8 Please rate how much your Solar Decathlon experience helped you get a job after graduation?

	My experi-ence was no help at all in getting a job							My experience was equally as helpful as other factors								My experi-ence was the main factor in getting a job			No opinion
		0	1		2	3	4		5	6		7		8	9		10
																		

9 If you were in the market now to buy a house that generated most of its electricity and heat from solar energy, how confident do you feel in your ability to judge the quality of the house’s energy system?

	Not confident at all							Have a moderate degree of confidence								Highly confident			No opinion
		0	1		2	3	4		5	6		7		8	9		10
																		

10 Which of the following includes your highest level of education?

• Currently in undergraduate college studies  SKIP TO Q16

• Completed some college or associate’s degree and no longer in college
   SKIP TO Q13

• Completed college or university degree  SKIP TO Q13

• Currently taking graduate courses

• Completed some post graduate work or a graduate degree

11 Did, or does, your graduate work include the study of how to use energy from the sun or wind to generate electricity or heat for a house?

• Yes

• No

12 Did, or does, your graduate work include the study of how to make a house more energy efficient?

• Yes

• No

13 Since leaving your undergraduate college studies, have you been employed in work involving the design, manufacture, sales, installation, research, or use in buildings on renewable energy or energy-efficient products?

• Yes

• No  SKIP TO Q16

14 Please describe the work. Select as many as apply.

Design, Manufacture, sales, or installation of—

• Solar systems

• Wind power systems

• Efficient appliances Efficient lighting

• Efficient cars, trucks, or rail vehicles

Education or training related to—

• The environment, including ecology

• Renewable energy or energy efficiency

Government policy or operations related to the—

• Design, evaluation, or operation of energy efficiency programs

• Use of energy efficient or renewable energy equipment

• Setting or enforcing building codes or standards

• Research on energy efficiency or renewable energy

Building design and construction—

• Architectural design of energy-efficient buildings or buildings using renewable energy

• Mechanical design of energy-efficient buildings or buildings using renewable energy

• Construction of energy-efficient buildings or buildings using renewable energy

Other non-government professional—

• Research on energy efficiency or renewable energy

• Consulting regarding energy efficiency or renewable energy

• O ther 

15 Have you ever started up a business related to this work?

• Yes

• No

16 Since you participated in a Solar Decathlon, have you helped to convince anyone, including yourself, to install any type of renewable-energy equipment, such as solar panels, on a home or business?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know

IF Q16 = YES, CONTINUE. ALL OTHERS SKIP TO Q21

17 What kind of renewable-energy equipment was installed? Select as many as apply

• Solar panels to generate electricity

• Solar panels to heat hot water

• Solar panels for space heating

• Wind turbines to generate electricity

• Wind turbines to pump water

• O ther 

• Don’t know

IF MORE THAN ONE RESPONSE SELECTED FOR Q17, CONTINUE. IF Q17 = “DON’T KNOW,” SKIP TO Q21. ALL OTHERS SKIP TO Q19.

18 Which of these installations would you say is likely to generate the most energy for its owner?

• Solar panels to generate electricity

• Solar panels to heat hot water

• Solar panels for space heating

• Wind turbines to generate electricity

• Wind turbines to pump water

• O ther 

19 Did you install the equipment you selected in the previous question on your own home or business?

• Yes

• No

20 Considering all of the possible things that might have led up to the decision to install IF Q17 HAS ONE RESPONSE, INSERT RESPONSE FROM Q17; ELSE INSERT RESPONSE FROM Q18, how important would you rate your Solar Decathlon experience to the influence you had on the decision? Please rate the importance of your Solar Decathlon experience to the decision on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means your experience was not at all important and 10 means you believe the equipment would not have been installed if you had not had the Solar Decathlon experience.

	My Solar Decathlon experience had no influence										My Solar Decathlon experience counted about as much as other influences										My Solar Decathlon experience was the primary influence		No opinion
		0	1		2			3		4		5	6		7		8		9			10
																								

AFTER Q20, SKIP TO Q24.

21 Since you participated in a Solar Decathlon have you visited any Internet sites that described the availability of utility or state incentives for solar-energy systems to generate electricity or heat for your home?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t recall

22 Since you participated in a Solar Decathlon, have you given any thought to the advantages and disadvantages of installing solar panels to generate electricity or heat water for your own house?

• Yes

• No

• Live in an apartment

• Don’t have a permanent residence

IF Q22 = YES, CONTINUE, ALL OTHERS SKIP TO Q24.

23 Since you participated in a Solar Decathlon, have you asked a contractor to offer you a price for installing solar panels to generate electricity or to heat water for your house, or have you investigated a price on your own?

• Yes

• No

24 Since you participated in a Solar Decathlon, have you helped to convince anyone, including yourself, to install any type of energy-efficient equipment, such as an efficient appliance or lighting fixture, in a home or business?

• Yes

• No

IF Q24 = YES, CONTINUE, ALL OTHERS SKIP TO Q29.

25 What kind of energy-efficient equipment was installed? Select as many as apply.

• Compact fluorescent light bulbs

• Efficient appliances for residential, commercial, or industrial buildings

• Efficient industrial or commercial equipment, e.g., motors

• Efficient lighting fixtures for residential, commercial, or industrial buildings

• Efficient windows

• Insulation

• O ther 

• Don’t know

IF MORE THAN ONE RESPONSE SELECTED FOR Q25, CONTINUE. IF Q25 = “DON’T KNOW,” SKIP TO THE INSTRUCTION BEFORE Q29. ALL OTHERS SKIP TO Q27.

26 Which of these installations would you say is likely to save the most energy for its owner?

• Compact fluorescent light bulbs

• Efficient appliances for residential, commercial, or industrial buildings

• Efficient industrial or commercial equipment, e.g., motors

• Efficient lighting fixtures for residential, commercial, or industrial buildings

• Efficient windows

• Insulation

• O ther 

27 Did you install the equipment you selected in the previous question in your own home or business?

• Yes

• No

28 Considering all of the possible things that might have led up to the decision to install IF Q25 HAS ONE RESPONSE, INSERT RESPONSE FROM Q25; ELSE INSERT RESPONSE FROM Q26, how important would you rate your Solar Decathlon experience to the influence you had on the decision? Please rate the importance of your Solar Decathlon experience to the decision on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means your experience was not at all important and 10 means you believe the equipment would not have been installed if you had not had the Solar Decathlon experience.

	My Solar Decathlon experience had no influence										My Solar Decathlon experience counted about as much as other influences										My Solar Decathlon experience was the primary influence		No opinion
		0	1			2		3		4		5	6		7		8		9			10
																								

Please indicate whether you believe the following statements are true or false. If you are not sure whether the statement is true or false, select “Not sure.”

RANDOMLY CHANGE THE ORDER OF QUESTIONS 29 – 36 FOR DIFFERENT RESPONDENTS

29 Over the course of a year, a home called a “zero-energy” home will produce at least as much electricity as it uses.

• True

• False

• Not sure

30 If you install solar-electric panels on your house you might still need to buy electricity from your local utility.

• True

• False

• Not sure

31 A house that uses solar panels to reduce its energy costs will usually have a higher initial purchase price than the same home without solar panels.

• True

• False

• Not sure

32 Houses that use solar panels also require batteries.

• True

• False

• Not sure

33 Solar panels that collect energy from the sun can only be used to generate electricity.

• True

• False

• Not sure

34 In most of the northern hemisphere, a rooftop solar panel that faces due south will collect more energy than one facing due east.

• True

• False

• Not sure

35 A compact fluorescent light bulb uses one-quarter to one-third as much energy as an incandescent bulb that produces the same amount of light.

• True

• False

• Not sure

36 A refrigerator that is labeled ENERGY STAR will use less electricity to cool an item of food than a similar refrigerator that is not labeled ENERGY STAR.

• True

• False

• Not sure

The remaining questions will be used only to group answers from all of the surveys. Your answers will not be identified with you personally.

37 Do you own or rent your home?

• Own

• Rent

• Other

38 Before you participated in a Solar Decathlon, did you ever participate in any other activity that encouraged people to conserve energy or help the environment?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t recall

39 Before you participated in a Solar Decathlon, did you ever write about energy conservation or the environment in a school paper, a blog, or a letter to the editor?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t recall

40 Are you aware of an Internet site called the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency where the availability state and utility incentives for solar energy and efficient equipment is listed?

• Yes

• No

• Don’t know

41 Has anyone living in your household ever had any formal technical training or engineering education?

• Yes

• No

• Not applicable

42 Select the range that includes your age.

• 20 to 29 years

• 30 to 39 years

• 40 to 49 years

• 50 to 59 years

• 60 to 69 years

• 70 years or older

43 Please select the range that includes the combined income of all persons living in your household during the past 12 months.

• Less than $10,000

• $10,000 to $29,999

• $30,000 to $49,999

• $50,000 to $59,999

• $60,000 to $74,999

• $75,000 to $99,999

• $100,000 to $149,999

• $150,000 or more

• Don’t know

• Declined

44 If you would like to provide any comments about the Solar Decathlon or your experience as a decathlete, please type them in the box below.

LIMIT THE RESPONSE TO Q44 TO 800 CHARACTERS. PUT A CHARACTER COUNTER UNDER THE BOX SHOWING THE NUMBER LEFT.

That is all of our questions. Please click on SUBMIT to record your answers.

Thank you very much for your time.

SHOW A SUBMIT BUTTON TO RECORD ANSWERS AND END THE SURVEY.

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