Abstract:
The study examines the utilization of solar energy
in the Ampara District, a region with high solar
potential but low penetration due to socio
economic and infrastructural constraints, as the
global energy landscape shifts towards
renewable energy sources like solar power due to
the threat of fossil fuel depletion and global
warming. A descriptive-analytical research
design with the quantitative survey method was
employed. Primary data were collected through a
systematic questionnaire survey among 207
households, business, and institutional users and
were analyzed in SPSS version 27.0 using
descriptive statistics. Findings showed that the
most prevalent adoption existed among middle
income households 58% with LKR 50,000
100,000 incomes, with government officials
(37.7%) and entrepreneurs (30.9%) constituting
the largest group of the users. Solar energy
awareness was near universal (99.5%), with
friends, family members, and social media as the
major sources of information. Solar energy was
dominantly for household purposes by the
majority of homes (62.3%), with 69.9% using
monocrystalline modules and 5–10 kW systems.
Problems included inverter malfunctioning
(14.98%), wiring problems (10.63%), panel
damage (9.66%), and high initial cost (67.5%) as
the greatest limitation. While 57.3% engaged in
maintenance activities, 42.7% of them failed to
practice them, losing their efficiency. To enhance
adoption, the respondents emphasized the need
for improved loan facilities (39.8%), increased
awareness programs (31.1%), subsidies (14.6%),
and improved quality equipment and training.
The study examines the socio-economic drivers,
constraints, and technical impediments to solar
adoption in Ampara, offering valuable lessons to
policymakers, NGOs, and private sector actors to
enhance decentralized renewable energy projects
in Sri Lanka.
