Socio-economic Impact Assessment of Solar Energy Adoption: A Case Study of Chandigarh Region

As cities transition towards low-carbon development, rooftop solar energy is the way forward. However, the socio-economic implications of such transitions are unexplored. There is a need to assess the socio-economic impacts of rooftop solar energy and provide policy recommendations for its implementation. The findings can guide inclusive renewable energy planning, behaviourally informed governance and equitable urban sustainability. A mixed-method approach is used, combining bibliometric analysis, thematic interviews and relative to an identified distribution analysis (RIDIT). The study evaluates enablers and barriers based on public perception, stakeholder narratives and policy frameworks. Five hundred thirty-four household surveys and multiple expert interviews were conducted to assess behavioural, economic and institutional factors. RIDIT analysis is used to rank enablers and obstacles in solar energy acceptance across income groups. Community perception of solar and solar resource potential are found to be the top enablers of adoption, while demand and dependency and willingness to change sources are the major behavioural barriers. Procedural delays, subsidy inefficiencies and socio-spatial inequalities were the key challenges. Despite high levels of awareness, low-income and rental households face access barriers to new technologies. RIDIT values from the analysis reflect perceptual divides across the socio-economic groups. This study brings together RIDIT analysis and thematic stakeholder evaluation in the Indian city regional context. Unlike previous studies, it provides region-specific insights into social equity, institutional effectiveness and behavioural dimensions of solar adoption. The framework is replicable for other cities aiming for just energy transitions. This study is confined to the city region of Chandigarh and has a limited sample size for stakeholder interviews. Future research will include institutional audits and expand the demographic scope to increase the transferability of the findings.