Solar PV adoption at household level: Insights based on a systematic literature review

The conventional model of energy production and consumption has come under severe scrutiny. Concerns related to climate change, increased energy needs and issues surrounding conventional sources of energy generation have highlighted a need to adopt sustainable means of energy generation. Renewable energy sources are believed to have the potential to meet rising energy needs in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. Solar energy is particularly interesting in this respect as it has the potential to be used at commercial as well as household level; however, to this end, its contribution to global energy supply has remained limited. A number of studies have explored factors influencing the adoption of solar photovoltaics (PV) at the household level and proposed measures to foster its development. This paper aims to systematically review and analyse the state of solar PV adoption by exploring “What are the key factors influencing the adoption of solar PV at household level?”. From 146 studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, the study identifies 127 unique factors influencing adoption behaviour, and groups these into eight categories, namely economic, environmental, social, personal, demographic, technical, regulatory and market-related factors. Based on the findings, this paper proposes guidelines for practitioners, identifies knowledge gaps and suggests directions for future research to strengthen the scholarship in this domain. •The widespread adoption and use of solar PV at the household level are influenced by a number of factors.•Scholars have explored factors influencing its adoption and proposed measures to foster its development.•This paper systematically reviews the literature on factors influencing the adoption of solar PV.•The review identifies 127 unique factors published in 146 scientific studies.•The identified factors are grouped into eight categories, namely economic, environmental, social, personal, demographic, technical, regulatory and market-related considerations.•The paper proposes guidelines for practitioners, identifies knowledge gaps and suggests directions for future research to strengthen the scholarship in this domain.