Examining the impact of environmental concerns and government initiatives on Generation Z's intentions to adopt solar technologies

Purpose Escalating environmental stress and uneven progress in sustainability demand timely action. Despite India's growing solar capacity and a large Gen Z population, adoption remains uncertain. This study explores Generation Z's intention to adopt solar technologies by integrating environmental concern (EC), and government initiatives (GI), addressing a critical gap in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach The present study considers solar rooftops and water heaters under solar technologies (STs). Data were collected from 372 Indian college and university students using a purposive sampling method. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed using SmartPLS 4 to test relationships among “subjective norms” (SN), “government initiatives” (GI), “environmental concern” (EC), attitudes, and “perceived behavioral control” (PBC) constructs. Findings The results show that EC (β = 0.498), GI reflecting green identity (β = 0.232), SN (β = 0.400) and attitude (β = 0.264) significantly influence behavioral intention to adopt STs. In contrast, PBC is insignificant (β = 0.073), likely due to cost-related constraints. These findings highlight the importance of youth-focused awareness initiatives and targeted subsidies in the Indian solar context. Originality/value This study provides novel evidence on the behavioral determinants of STs adoption among Generation Z customers in India. Insights can guide solar manufacturers, practitioners, policymakers and researchers to design interventions that encourage sustainable technology adoption and overcome perceived adoption barriers.