India has set out to equip ten million households with rooftop solar systems under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, approved in 2024 with an outlay of ₹75,021 crore. Whether households take up the offer depends not only on subsidies but on how they perceive the technology, the advice they receive and the behaviour of their neighbours. This paper reviews the international research on residential solar photovoltaic adoption to identify which determinants matter most and what they imply for the design of the Indian programme. Drawing on reviews covering several hundred predictors, a meta-analysis of adoption intentions, and causal studies of peer effects, the review organises the determinants into four groups: perceived benefits and economic expectations; perceived behavioural control and barriers; social influence and visibility; and personal values and technical interest. Three conclusions emerge. Perceived benefits, rather than socio-demographic characteristics, are the strongest predictor of the intention to adopt; installed systems in the neighbourhood measurably raise the probability that others will adopt; and informational and transactional barriers can deter adoption even when a system is financially attractive. The paper maps these determinants against the design features of PM-Surya Ghar, identifies where the programme already addresses them and where gaps remain, and proposes an agenda for research on Indian households, including renters, apartment dwellers and rural consumers.
Shrivastava, G. & Ahuja, V. (2026). Why Households Adopt Rooftop Solar: An Integrative Review of Economic, Social and Psychological Determinants and its Implications for India's PM-Surya Ghar Programme. International Journal of Innovations & Research Analysis, 06(03(II)), 26–30. https://doi.org/10.62823/IJIRA/06.3(II).9495
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