Raising Awareness and Overcoming Challenges: Recommendations for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Adoption in Residential Areas
Abstract
The adoption and implementation of solar energy in Malaysia mark a significant transition towards sustainable and renewable energy sources within the energy section of the sector. As Malaysia aims to lessen its dependence on fossil fuel and address the environmental consequences of conventional energy production, solar energy stands out as a feasible and promising option. This research aims to determine the overall understanding about the solar Photovoltaic (PV) adoption and implementation in residential area in Precint 9, Putrajaya Malaysia. Solar PV technology had a lot of benefits, not only for human but also to the environment. However, residents have encountered several challenges regarding the implementation of solar energy. These challenges include the level of awareness, cost implications, the availability of financial support and incentives, as well as regulations. To effectively implement this technology, residents need sufficient knowledge and comprehension of its advantages as well as the challenges it may entail. The objective of this research was to determine the level of awareness of the residents, to identify the challenges in solar implementation and also to propose recommendations to encourage solar Photovoltaic (PV) adoption in the residential areas. In addition, the respondents of this research were from different background, and the sources of the data collection used in this research were primary and secondary data. The data collected was from the returned questionnaire survey distributed to the residents, with a total of 100 respondents which consisted of Putrajaya’s residents. From the findings, it could be concluded that most people were aware about the solar technology but had less understanding and knowledge about its benefits and installation. The biggest challenges were the difficulty in obtaining financial and personal bank loan approval for the solar installation, followed by the public awareness, solar suppliers, well-defined regulations, accessibility of information, insufficient incentives and high initial cost. Due to these challenges, recommendations were proposed to encourage more solar adoption in residential setting to help facilitate residents to implement solar for their homes.
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