The Impact of Socio-economic Factors on the Perception towards Solar Energy

Abstract

Solar Energy is an upcoming solution to one of the world’s biggest problems: The lack of clean energy. This research paper focuses on understanding the factors that influence the perception of Indian respondents toward solar energy, in order to fill in the gap in the data regarding how basic socio-economic factors such as age, education, and income level can influence one's thoughts towards solar energy. This is a mixed-method study that aims to draw relations and trends between the above-stated factors and the perceptions of the respondents. It was concluded after analyzing a dataset of 140 respondents(middle Class and upper-class respondents from Metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai, and Lower Class respondents from Kishangargh Village, New Delhi), from different income and education levels, that there was a positive relationship between education level and awareness as well as income and likelihood of adoption. Other factors such as age and gender of the respondents have also been taken into account in the study. The age of the respondents had a positive relationship with their perception of solar energy, Whereas gender showed no relation with the perception of the respondents.