What is challenging renewable energy entrepreneurs in developing countries?

Abstract

This paper cumulates the findings from a review of the challenges faced by renewable energy entrepreneurs in developing countries. To date, research that could facilitate the success of renewable energy entrepreneurs in the world׳s developing regions has been fragmented across two main bodies of literature – management (specifically, entrepreneurship) and renewable energy. By conducting a qualitative review of the extant literature, I propose that the findings from both bodies of research may be distilled to six (6) key challenges: inadequate access to institutional finance; the price of renewable energy technologies (RETs); the lack of skilled labour; underdeveloped physical infrastructure and logistics; power/dominance of incumbents; inadequate government or policy support. Through this research, I not only advance a unified conceptualisation of the challenges faced by renewable energy entrepreneurs in developing countries, but also highlight a number of the revealed opportunities for future research