Non-conventional renewable energies in emerging economies: challenges, strategic responses and pathways for energy sector management

Purpose This study aims to analyze the multidimensional factors shaping the deployment of non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE) in emerging economies, focusing on how structural conditions, governance systems, financial mechanisms and technological pathways interact to influence transition outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review of Web of Science publications (2001–2025) was conducted. This study combines bibliometric mapping, qualitative thematic synthesis and conceptual integration to identify cross-cutting patterns in barriers, strategic responses and forward-looking transition pathways. Findings NCREs expansion is constrained less by technology maturity than by institutional and financial misalignment. Exchange-rate volatility, high capital costs, regulatory fragmentation, infrastructural deficits and socio-behavioral barriers limit adoption, while environmental pressures add further complexity. At the same time, system-level responses are emerging, including green-finance innovation, renewable-energy auctions, institutional decision-support tools, digital governance and participatory mechanisms. Future transitions are characterized by hybrid multi-vector systems, hydrogen value chains, circular-economy integration, AI-enabled planning and platform-based energy business models. Research limitations/implications The review highlights the need for future studies on compound-risk modeling, institutional–financial co-evolution, AI-based system optimization and the integration of behavioral and climate-resilience factors into energy planning. Practical implications Effective transition strategies require coordinated institutional reform, regulatory stability, financial risk-mitigation tools and integrated infrastructure planning. Originality/value This study contributes by advancing an institutional–financial–technological alignment perspective. Rather than treating renewable-energy deployment as a purely technological diffusion process, it conceptualizes transition outcomes as the result of dynamic interactions between governance systems, financial structures and technological pathways in emerging economies.