Bridging Awareness and Adoption: A Study on Solar Energy Adoption Intentions Among Small and Medium Enterprises in Kerala

This study examines the impact of solar energy awareness on the intention to adopt solar energy among owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kerala, with additional enquiry into the demographic and firmographic factors influencing adoption intention. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected from 671 SME owners using a structured questionnaire. IBM SPSS was used to conduct statistical tests, including independent samples t -tests, analysis of variance and simple linear regression. The findings indicate significant differences in adoption intention based on education level, religion, type of business, plant location and firm age, while no significant differences were observed for gender, business generation and enterprise size. Awareness of solar energy practices emerged as a strong positive predictor of adoption intention, explaining 30.5% of the variance. The results highlight the importance of awareness-driven policy interventions and training programmes to enhance sustainable energy adoption among SMEs. Overall, the study offers meaningful implications for policymakers, solar providers and SME stakeholders seeking to promote eco-innovations in business energy practices.