Adoptability of Sustainable Energy in Rural India

Abstract

Access to energy is an important determinant for social and economic well-being of any society. In recent time though India is witnessing a rapid development country, but access to energy, particularly in rural part of India has still remained an unsolved development agenda. Reports show that large sections of population living in rural India and urban slum still do not have access to modern energy services. Therefore, this paper identifies and investigates the factors responsible for adoptability (or lack of it) of sustainable energy in rural India through extensive literature review. Further, a framework is developed in this study using Fuzzy-AHP approach to analyse the factors impeding and facilitating the state of adoptability of sustainable energy technologies in rural India. The results of the study reveals that, electrical connectivity (EC), income consistency(IC), average family Size (AFS), proximity to cities(PC), ecological conditions(EC) and sanitation(SA) are the key attribute in determining the level of adoptability rather than the actual knowledge or awareness. Moreover, this research work will be useful for energy planners, academicians and NGOs working in the field for developing strategies for successful implementation of sustainable energy supply programs particularly in rural area.