Impact of Personal Traits and Government Incentives on the Intention of Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Installation in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka, as a developing country, faces a significant obstacle of energy shortage due to efforts in economic development and enhancement of the living conditions of the citizens. However, the country accounts for a comparatively low carbon footprint, which at present is slowly increasing due to the development of the country and increasing power demand, as the country has taken desperate measures like burning fossil fuels to meet the rising demand. The country now intends to find more sustainable and environment-friendly measures to meet the demand. The introduction of renewable energy has made an effort to change the way that energy is produced. A non-depleting and renewable source of power, renewable energy is also referred to as green energy. It's common to refer to environmentally friendly energy sources as "green products" (in this case, "energy"). Fossil fuels are currently being replaced with renewable energy sources. Solar has been identified as the most promising renewable energy source, yet the land shortage has made the choice questionable. However, considering these issues and the country’s economic condition, the implementation of smaller-scale rooftop solar photovoltaic panels for individual houses may be the best solution. The research purpose of this study is to investigate and understand the impact of personnel traits and government incentives on the intention of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation in Sri Lanka. The data for the study was gathered using 401 questionnaires dispersed around the country. The questionnaire was self-administered. The IBM SPSS Statistics 23 software was used to analyze the data that had been gathered. The findings demonstrate that consumer innovation, ecological lifestyle, environmental concern, and government incentives have a favorable influence on the public's propensity to install rooftop solar panels. In order to determine the influence of these elements on customers' installation intentions, this research examines the consumer perception theory-based model based on planned behavior theory. Local legislators, solar industry executives, and other stakeholders may greatly benefit from the study's findings.