Analysing the barriers to renewable energy adoption in Ghana using Delphi and a fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach

This study investigates the critical barriers to renewable energy adoption in Ghana, where reliable and sustainable energy access remains critical to achieving development goals and addressing climate change. Drawing from the existing literature, 44 barriers were identified and grouped into six categories: policy, institutional, economic/financial, structural/technical, political/legal/regulatory, and social. A two-round Delphi survey was implemented to gather consensus among 17 Ghanaian experts on renewable energy and climate change, resulting in 22 of the statements reaching consensus. A fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) was used to rank these barriers based on their relative and overall importance in impeding the adoption of RE. The results show that policy, economic/financial, and institutional barriers are Ghana's main barriers to RE adoption. Key impediments include the lack of market-driven support, high commercial rates, and issues related to land litigation and availability. The study recommends regulatory and policy changes incorporating market-driven strategies and subsidies, and prioritising renewable energy in Ghana's power mix. Additionally, there is a need for training and awareness programmes to enhance social acceptance of RE sources. • Forty-four barriers to renewable energy (RE) barriers adoption were identified. • A two-round Delphi survey of energy experts is used to rank the barriers. • From the fuzzy analysis, policy and economic barriers are the most important. • The least important barriers are structural or technical. • Overcoming the barriers requires greater government and private-sector collaboration.