Rooftop solar programme and citizens' perceptions for sustainable lifestyle: A study of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat

The abundant solar energy source provides an immense scope to create ample opportunities to produce affordable and clean energy. To utilise this energy optimally, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, has launched the ‘Rooftop Solar Programme’ in 2014, aiming to achieve an installed capacity of 40 gigawatts by 2022, further extended till 2026. The present study identifies the interests and apprehensions of the respondents to install rooftop solar (RTS) panels; it analyses respondents’ perception of RTS panels and sustainable lifestyle and evaluates the government’s role in encouraging people to adopt sustainable lifestyle practices. The data are collected by applying the snowball sampling method through a structured questionnaire circulated in the 5 zones of Ahmedabad city. The citizens’ perception is collected through a 5-point Likert scale. It is found in the study that the main advantage of installing RTS panels is a reduction in electricity costs, and the main challenge is the regular maintenance of the panels. A total of 44.8% of respondents installed RTS panels as they felt that this would help them to contribute to preserving the environment. The study also reveals that the lengthy payback period of the panels (28.6% respondents) and lack of knowledge about net-metering (27% respondents) are the factors that prevent nonusers from installing the panels. The study concludes that adopting RTS panels results from awareness campaigns, government subsidies, and word of mouth. The study also concludes that both citizens and the government need each other’s cooperation to carry out a greater behaviour change programme.