Adoption of renewable energy solutions by South Africa’s commercial and industrial businesses

Abstract

The study addresses renewable energy adoption in South Africa’s commercial and industrial sectors, beginning with the country’s energy crisis as part of a broader global energy justice issue. It examines how the largest energy consumers adopt renewable energy solutions, a topic that has received limited theoretical focus in South Africa. Using a multipronged framework of status quo bias and diffusion of innovation theories, the research explores both internal drivers and external catalysts for adoption. Findings suggest that adoption is influenced not solely by technology costs and benefits but also by resistance to change, with a tendency to maintain the status quo. When political barriers are overcome, there is a strong demand for alternative energy to reduce costs and achieve carbon reduction targets. Qualitative research, with fifteen (15) participants from the renewable energy sector, reveals that adoption is a gradual process shaped by the policy environment. The study’s insights are valuable for policymakers and scholars, highlighting the need for sensitivity to the nuanced processes that produce what is termed "lurching diffusion."