15A

My first interviewee said that price is a factor when considering alternatives regarding solar power. She would be willing to make a change to solar power but only if the price was the same she pays now for electricity or slightly above that price. The quality would need to be as good or better as her current system because the electricity of her house needs to be running efficiently. She would purchase this solar energy program in a store so she could talk to a worker and make sure she is aware of all the details of the purchase. She believes she would be satisfied looking back on this purchase because she knows it is helping the environment. She thinks of a bad purchase as something that is not up-to-par quality wise based on price. With the solar energy program, she knows exactly what she is getting and is aware of the positive impact it has on the environment.

My second interviewee said that price is not a huge factor when considering alternatives regarding solar power. He was extremely willing to switch to solar power if the program became available. He stressed the importance of wanting to help the environment any way he could and knew how beneficial it would be to not depend on fossil fuels. He would be okay purchasing this program either online or in a store, whichever one is more convenient for him. What matters most to him when he thinks back on the rightness of a purchase is if it gives him a sense of happiness, if there is no happiness then it was not worth it.

My third interviewee said that price definitely matters when considering alternatives regarding solar power. He said that he would not want to make any major changes to his electricity system if it meant he had to pay more too. The quality of a solar energy system would have to be an improvement to his current system. He said if he were to purchase a solar energy program it would be in a store so he could know all the details of the program. What matters to him when looking back on the rightness of a purchase is if he can say it was worth it a few months in the future. He believes a bad purchase would be something that is below-quality for what he paid for or doesn’t do the job he intended it would. He said that he wants to help save the environment but changing his electricity system would not be one of the ways he would do that.

I have learned the different levels of this segment based on how willing they are to change to help the environment. It was interesting to see how price, quality, convenience, and post-purchase evaluation all worked together to form their purchase decision. This solar energy program needs to be affordable and high quality in order to interest the majority of this segment. I feel like these interviews gave me a better idea of the market for this type of product/service and I now know the factors that play a part in their purchase decision.