Solar Power Adoption Among Rural Households in Bondo Sub-County
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jnsrr/V2E2/2026-05Keywords:
Solar energy, Solar home system, Biomass, Affordable energyAbstract
In the wake of adverse impact of climate change, renewable energy technologies such as solar power have gained increased attention as sustainable, and low-carbon solutions. However, in Kenya, rural household adoption of solar power remains low, with solar-powered hybrid systems accounting for only 1.07 percent of off-grid electricity generation. This study assessed the determinants of solar power adoption among rural households in Kenya, focusing on awareness of solar power existence, household income, education level of household heads, and availability of substitute energy sources. The study’s anchor theory was the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. A descriptive survey design was employed, with self-administered questionnaires being the method used for data collection. Inferential analyses and a logit model were also adopted. Findings revealed that awareness of solar power existence, household income, education level, and availability of fossil fuels and biomass had significant influence on adoption decisions. However, household income emerged as the strongest predictor, underscoring the economic nature of household decision-making. Those findings led to the conclusion that although various aspects exist that determine rural households’ willingness to adopt solar power, household income remains the most significant one, which underlines the need for developing solutions focusing on that area to increase rural households’ adoption of solar power to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 that aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. This led to the recommendation that the Kenyan government should introduce incentives and tax breaks for solar power suppliers to reduce the cost of solar power products.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Peter Oyugi Makene , Dr. Peter Shibairo Misango , Dr. Stella Munyole (Author)
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