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Abstract As the United States phases out traditional fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources, it is important to capitalize on all available avenues to increase renewable penetration. In the last decade, the costs associated with residential solar photovoltaic (PV) installations have decreased significantly, providing more homeowners with the opportunity to generate their own clean electricity. Research has found that the decision to invest in a residential solar PV system is guided by economic, social, and personal factors. Accounting for such complexities, the joint power of agent-based modeling and social network analysis is leveraged in this study to evaluate the effect of social influence on solar PV adoption. Featuring residential consumer agents with data-driven attributes, a logistic regression function to predict solar adoption, and random and small-world social network implementations, this work simulates residential solar PV adoption in New Jersey. Results indicate that including social influence in an agent-based electricity system model leads to increased installed residential solar capacity, but not necessarily higher adoption rates. These findings suggest that, with an understanding of the intricacies of consumer social networks, there are potential opportunities to bolster residential solar installations through low-cost social campaigns that motivate individuals to adopt home solar through their social ties. 

Abstract An active lifestyle can mitigate physical decline and cognitive impairment in older adults. Regular walking exercises for older individuals result in enhanced balance and reduced risk of falling. In this article, we present a study on gait monitoring for older adults during walking using an integrated system encompassing an assistive robot and wearable sensors. The system fuses data from the robot onboard Red Green Blue plus Depth (RGB-D) sensor with inertial and pressure sensors embedded in shoe insoles, and estimates spatiotemporal gait parameters and dynamic margin of stability in real-time. Data collected with 24 participants at a community center reveal associations between gait parameters, physical performance (evaluated with the Short Physical Performance Battery), and cognitive ability (measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment). The results validate the feasibility of using such a portable system in out-of-the-lab conditions and will be helpful for designing future technology-enhanced exercise interventions to improve balance, mobility, and strength and potentially reduce falls in older adults.