Powering sustainability: a D-BWM approach to overcoming barriers and advancing solar power adoption among Indian households

Purpose India’s shift from conventional energy to solar power is essential for a secure, sustainable future, yet various obstacles continue to slow this progress. The purpose of this study is to analyze and categorize the specific barriers hindering household solar adoption in India to understand their impact on the country’s broader green energy transition. Design/methodology/approach This study began with a systematic literature review of 52 research articles, identifying 41 barriers and grouping them into eight categories. To prioritize these issues, the authors applied the Best-Worst Method based on D-numbers (D-BWM). This approach allowed us to capture insights from Subject Matter Experts while effectively handling the natural uncertainty in their judgments. Findings The Financial category emerged as the most critical (weight 0.3627), while Knowledge and Awareness ranked lowest (0.0309). The top two barriers are “Lack of funds” (0.1691) and “Credit constraints” (0.1008) based on their global weights. Consistency ratios ranging from 0.0144 to 0.0998 confirm remarkable level of consistency among the experts. Originality/value This study uniquely applies D-BWM to Indian household solar adoption, shifting the focus from consumers to practitioner insights. Key recommendations include financial innovation, quality assurance and technician training. By connecting residential barriers to India’s net-zero targets, the findings of this study offer valuable insights for other developing nations which face the same barriers.