Determinants of household adoption of solar energy technology in rural areas of Uganda: a case study of Ankole sub region of Uganda.

Abstract

In rural areas of Uganda, traditional fuels like kerosene and firewood are the main sources of energy used for lighting purposes. They are the major factors for environmental problems and health risks that affect the wellbeing of low-income rural households. However, Uganda lies on the equator and has a vast potential for renewable energy resources like solar energy that have not fully utilized. The main objective of the study was to determine the factors that influence household adoption of solar energy technology in rural Ankole. In order to achieve the objective of the study, data was obtained from UBOS and a sample size of 603 households was used. The study used a cross sectional design and binary logistic regression was used to examine the factors. The results indicate that the adoption of solar energy technology has a positive and significant relation with monthly household expenditure (OR=2.2110 and P=0.009) and distance to market (OR=0.6144 and P=0.012). But the adoption of solar energy technology has a negative association with sex of the household head, age of the household head, household size, educational level of household head and access to credit. Based on the findings, the study recommended the government to increase awareness among rural households about potential reduction in their household expenditures over time. This encourages long term cost savings in solar energy technologies. The study also recommended the government to improve rural infrastructure such as roads in order to reduce the distances to market for solar components and to provide tax incentives and subsidies on solar technology installations.