Barriers to the adoption of solar and wind energy technologies: a systematic literature review

Purpose – Renewable energy (RE) sources hold immense potential to address future energy demands and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the abundant availability of these resources, their global contribution to energy generation remains limited. This study aims to review relevant literature to explore the barriers hindering the development and integration of RE sources worldwide. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus database, with article selection guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method. A citation frequency analysis and Pareto analysis were conducted to evaluate the barriers to the adoption of solar and wind energy. Findings – The review identified 39 barriers, categorised into nine taxonomies: economic/financial, technical/technological, sociocultural, policy, political, institutional, market, geographical and environmental. Among these, the technical/technological and economic/financial categories were the most frequently cited taxonomies, with a lack of skilled labour and high investment costs emerging as the most significant challenges within these categories. In addition, the study analysed and ranked eleven strategies to overcome these barriers. Originality/value – This paper enriches the theoretical discourse on RE by providing an in-depth analysis of global challenges and mitigation strategies, thereby paving the way for a more effective energy transition.