Impacts of energy decentralization viewed through the lens of the energy cultures framework: Solar home systems in the developing economies

Abstract

A large and growing body of literature has investigated diverse impacts of solar power technologies, in particular, solar home systems (SHS) in the developing economies. These studies evaluated either the social or economic impacts of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology adoption, often both, as a socio-economic analysis. A few other studies investigated the environmental impacts only. On the other hand, some studies considered the drivers and barriers of this technology adoption. However, studies considering all these factors – impacts, drivers, barriers – together to derive an overall picture of solar electricity deployment as a part of energy decentralization rarely occur in the literature. This study has taken into account this gap in the literature and tried to analyze all the factors together through the lens of the energy cultures framework (ECF) and provide insights into the interplay that exists between these factors. The ECF revealed that the drivers of SHS adoption are dominated by the ‘cognitive norms’ of the adopters. In contrast, the significant barriers belong to the ‘material culture’ of the people. This study further indicates the policy implications of energy decentralization. These findings might be a useful source of information for energy policymakers towards formulating a sustainable national electricity generation plan for developing economies to meet the United Nations sustainable development goals.