RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY UTILISATION BY DOMESTIC CONSUMERS IN NIGERIA: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Energy is the backbone of improved economy, technological advancement and attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG). In Nigeria, the demand for electrical energy is more than the supply and meaningful development has been crippled. In view of this, Nigerians in the industry, the academia and government circle have been involved in identifying and finding solutions to the lingering challenges of meeting the energy demands. In recent times, immense research efforts have been made towards enhancing renewable sources like solar, hydro, biogas, wind, etc. Even though there are many advantages associated with the solar renewable energy, it is not yet so popular among residential/domestic consumers. This paper focused on the challenges that hinder the wide acceptability of the solar energy source by domestic consumers. Oral interview was conducted for 147 respondents across various levels of education, age and income. With the use of frequency analysis, major challenges highlighted were summarized as affordability, lack of access, little or no public awareness, etc. The paper then recommended probable solutions aimed at overcoming these challenges for wider acceptability