Solar energy deployment for sustainable future of India: Hybrid SWOC-AHP analysis

Solar energy is the most promising resource as it plays a vital role in economic growth, improvement in quality of life and achievement of sustainable future of a nation. The objective of the present study is to conduct the Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Challenges (SWOC) analysis of solar energy deployment in Indian context. Moreover, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique is utilized to obtain priority of the SWOC variables in deployment of solar energy. The hybrid combination of AHP with SWOC analysis produces analytically determined priorities for the factors and makes them commensurable. Finally, sensitivity analysis has been used to investigate SWOC variables' rank stability. Among SWOC variables, opportunity factor emerged out to be the most dominant which concludes that deploying solar energy can provide several chances to grow for a nation sustainably. Moreover, weakness associated with solar energy reaches to bottom place which shows bright future of diffusion of solar energy. Present study will assist policy planners, and concerned authorities to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of solar energy in order to plan, manage and develop it effectively to attain sustainability.