Survey Places GenZ On Top For Affinity To Solar Solutions In India

A multi city survey in India of over 4000 respondents has thrown up some interesting findings when it comes to awareness of, and perception of solar power solutions.

• Gen Z (those aged between 27- 40years) leads with 50% awareness, followed by Millennials at 46% (those aged 28 to 43) , and Gen X (44 to 60 years of age) at 40%
• 28% of baby boomers (age 58-76) consider solar energy solutions inaccessible
• Millennials report the least difficulty in accessing solar energy solutions, with only 21% expressing concerns
• Over 50% of women possess awareness about solar energy solutions, surpassing men at 44%
• 61% women believe solar energy is cost-effective in the long-term, compared to 57% men.

The ‘Solar Spectrum of New India’ a survey by Schneider Electric owned Luminous Power Technologies reveals significant challenges and perception gap regarding the accessibility of solar energy solutions among different demographics in India.

The study showcased awareness of alternatives to traditional energy sources is on the rise among Indians. As much as 97% respondents in India don’t have solar rooftop system installed in their homes. In terms of accessibility, the survey reveals that 28% of baby boomers (age 58-76) consider solar energy solutions inaccessible, while millennials report the least difficulty, with only 21% expressing concerns. Gen X and Gen Z follow closely, with 23% and 25% respectively indicating inaccessibility.

Most of the respondents agreed that the shortage of specialized skills and skilled labour is a major roadblock for a seamless transition to solar solutions. 90% of respondents both males and females stated the installation of solar solutions such as rooftop panels need specialized skills. Additionally, 57% women and 41% men state that skilled labor is not available in their area for implementing solar energy solutions, making a strong case for a higher focus on skill development tin the area.

On solar costs, Solar Spectrum findings reveal that the perception around high installation costs associated with adoption of rooftop solar remain a significant barrier to its seamless adoption.  92% of Gen Z, 92% of Gen X & 92% millennials perceive the cost of implementing solar power solutions is expensive compared to traditional energy sources. Notably, 41% of non-solar rooftop-owning millennials are aware of the solar financing options, compared to 38% Gen X. Additionally, 84% of millennial solar rooftop owners received financing and insurance options, contrasting with 58% Gen X.

A detailed analysis on the cost analysis further noted that men’s perception of both short-term and long-term costs is markedly higher than that of women. 61% of men believe that solar energy involves high initial installation costs, compared to 51% of women.

 

Methodology

The report is based on interviews with 4,318 respondents amongst four age cohorts as mentioned below across 5 metros: Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and 8 non-metros: Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Gurugram, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna conducted between February 2024 to March 2024.

A random sample of 4258 respondents in the four age cohorts were interviewed for the Solar spectrum survey, out of which 91 respondents were found to have solar rooftop systems. In addition to this 60 qualified respondents of solar rooftop owners were surveyed from 3 cities of high user ship.  All the findings from our survey are supported by extensive secondary research across the country.