Short answer

Designers and businesses involved in the renewable energy sector must prioritize robust supply chains and dependable service networks, alongside efforts to build public awareness and expertise, to overcome adoption barriers.

Field: Resource Management
Source: Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE) (2023)
Method: Qualitative Exploratory Study using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis.
Sample: 21 participants
Evidence: Strong effect

Key barriers to adopting solar energy are rooted in production limitations and concerns about post-installation support, indicating a need for supply chain and service infrastructure development. This resource management research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE). Using Qualitative exploratory study using interpretive structural modeling (ism) and micmac analysis. with 21 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers and businesses involved in the renewable energy sector must prioritize robust supply chains and dependable service networks, alongside efforts to build public awareness and expertise, to overcome adoption barriers.

Study

Resource ManagementRecentStrong effect

Limited Production and After-Sales Uncertainty Hinder Solar Energy Adoption

Key barriers to adopting solar energy are rooted in production limitations and concerns about post-installation support, indicating a need for supply chain and service infrastructure development.

Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE) · 2023

Key Findings

01Limited production and uncertainty about after-sale service are the most significant barriers, directly impacting adoption.
02Lack of expertise and social awareness are foundational barriers that drive other issues.
03Weak infrastructure, absence of feed-in tariffs, limited production, and uncertainty about after-sale service are identified as dependent barriers.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing a new product or service in a nascent market, conduct thorough stakeholder research to identify and prioritize the most impactful barriers to adoption, focusing on both direct and indirect influences.

Project actions

01When researching a new product, think about the entire ecosystem, not just the product itself. What needs to be in place for it to succeed?
02Use qualitative methods like interviews or expert surveys to uncover nuanced barriers that quantitative data might miss.

Method & Evidence

AimTo identify and rank the factors that impede the adoption of solar energy systems among stakeholders.

MethodQualitative Exploratory Study using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis.

ProcedureA literature review was conducted, followed by data collection via a matrix-type questionnaire administered to 21 experts from the solar energy sector. The collected data was analyzed using ISM to map the relationships between barriers and MICMAC to classify them based on their influence.

Sample21 participants

ContextSolar energy sector in Pakistan.

Variables

IV["Factors hindering switching to solar energy (e.g., limited production, uncertainty about after-sale service, lack of expertise, lack of social awareness, weak infrastructure, non-availability of feed-in tariff)."]

DV["Adoption of solar energy systems."]

CV["Stakeholder group (producers, importers, sellers, marketers, buyers/consumers, regulators)."]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Uses advanced qualitative analysis techniques (ISM, MICMAC) to provide a structured understanding of complex relationships.
+Focuses on real-time data from relevant industry stakeholders.

Limitations

The sample size is small, and the findings are specific to one country, limiting broad applicability. The reliance on expert opinion might overlook perspectives from everyday consumers.

Reliability & validity

The use of expert sampling and established qualitative analysis methods (ISM, MICMAC) contributes to the validity of the findings. Reliability could be enhanced through triangulation with other data sources or methods.

Think critically

How might the identified barriers to solar energy adoption differ in a developed country with established infrastructure compared to the context of Pakistan?

Design Principles

"For successful adoption of new technologies, address both immediate practical concerns (production, service) and underlying systemic issues (infrastructure, awareness, policy)."

Understanding the primary obstacles to adopting renewable energy sources like solar is crucial for policy-making and business strategy. Addressing these specific barriers can accelerate the transition to more sustainable energy systems, impacting resource management and environmental goals.

What This Means for Your Design

People don't switch to solar power because there aren't enough panels being made, and they worry about getting them fixed later. We need more factories and better repair services, plus more training and public education.

How to use in your project

1.This study provides a framework for identifying and prioritizing barriers in a design project. You can use similar qualitative methods to explore adoption challenges for your own design.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights that the successful adoption of new technologies, such as solar energy systems, is significantly influenced by practical concerns like production capacity and the availability of reliable after-sales services. These immediate barriers, alongside foundational issues like a lack of expertise and public awareness, must be addressed to facilitate widespread uptake.

Source

Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE)

What Stops to Switch on to Solar Energy? An Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about limited production and after-sales uncertainty hinder solar energy adoption?: Designers and businesses involved in the renewable energy sector must prioritize robust supply chains and dependable service networks, alongside efforts to build public awareness and expertise, to overcome adoption barriers. Evidence: Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE) (2023).
Why does "Limited Production and After-Sales Uncertainty Hinder Solar Energy Adoption" matter for design?: Understanding the primary obstacles to adopting renewable energy sources like solar is crucial for policy-making and business strategy. Addressing these specific barriers can accelerate the transition to more sustainable energy systems, impacting resource management and environmental goals.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers and businesses involved in the renewable energy sector must prioritize robust supply chains and dependable service networks, alongside efforts to build public awareness and expertise, to overcome adoption barriers.
What were the main findings?: Limited production and uncertainty about after-sale service are the most significant barriers, directly impacting adoption.. Lack of expertise and social awareness are foundational barriers that drive other issues.. Weak infrastructure, absence of feed-in tariffs, limited production, and uncertainty about after-sale service are identified as dependent barriers.
What research method was used?: Qualitative Exploratory Study using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis. with 21 participants.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE).
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing a new product or service in a nascent market, conduct thorough stakeholder research to identify and prioritize the most impactful barriers to adoption, focusing on both direct and indirect influences.
What are the limitations?: The study is qualitative and based on expert opinions, which may introduce bias. The findings are specific to the context of Pakistan and may not be directly generalizable to other regions.